


Recurring Memories

by InkLightning



Category: Puyo Puyo (Video Games)
Genre: Death, Emotional Baggage, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Flashbacks, Grief/Mourning, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Sex, Love, M/M, Mental Breakdown, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Suicide, Therapy, Tragedy, Tragic Romance, Trauma, Undeath, cognitive processing therapy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-21
Updated: 2020-09-21
Packaged: 2021-03-07 16:35:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 22,167
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26580751
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/InkLightning/pseuds/InkLightning
Summary: Lemres finds a distraught Dapper Bones out late one stormy night. Seeing the condition he is in and fearing for his health and well being, he begs him to take a day off. When asked about what had happened that night, Dapper decides to tell Lemres his story.About who he was...Who he loved...And how he came to be who he is today.
Relationships: Dapper Bones/Dapper Bones' Lover
Kudos: 7





	1. Prologue

The night was dark and dreary, with the sick downpour of rain audibly splashing onto the ground with a profound vigour. A young man ran through the forest, looking for a place to shelter. He saw a hollow at the base of an old, but large tree. Quickly, he ran into the hollow. It was just large enough to hold him without making him feel cramped. He watched the rain pour down from the hollow with a downcast expression on his face.

“We don’t usually get this type of weather here…” He muttered softly. He was just about to phase out watching the rain, until he heard a soft splash.

“Wha… at this hour…” Lemres peeked his head from underneath the ground, making sure not to peer too far out to ensure his hair won’t get wet. Scanning the area around him, his sight stopped on a familiar shape and his heart skipped a beat. Lying there, on the rain-soaked ground in a large puddle… with his purple longcoat and hat completely drenched…

“Dapper?!”

Quickly emerging from the den, Lemres seized the skeleton and dragged him back into his hiding spot. Brushing off bits of mud and dirt as best he could off of Dapper’s clothing, he cleaned up his friend a bit.

Why, he thought. Why would he be here at this late hour? Shouldn’t he back at his shop?!

When he checked over the skeleton, he saw that his eyes were dull and had just recently shed tears. He begged silently that he wasn’t dead and examining closer he was relieved to see his eyelids were moving slightly. Blinking once, Dapper looked around, and flinched when he saw Lemres staring back at him. He shifted away from him quickly, but Lemres held his arms gently and stopped him from moving.

“It’s alright Dapper… It’s OK…” Lemres reassured him, but he could feel Dapper was still tense.

“Lem…?” The skeleton exhaled, eyes focusing on the warlock. Relaxing, he collapsed into Lemres’ arms. Lemres held him gently, wrapping his arms around Dapper’s svelte form. From Dapper’s dishevelled appearance and way he threw himself at Lemres’ arms, he could sense that something was terribly wrong.

“Is something… wrong?” He asked softly. Dapper stared up at him with weary eyes. He opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. He rested his head on Lemres’ chest. Lemres held Dapper close to him and watched the rain from his den for a while.

Maybe I’ll ask about that tomorrow, he thought before falling asleep.

\------

Dapper opened his eyes slowly the next morning. Taking a moment to confirm his surroundings, he realised he was underground in a ditch. Well, a ditch under a tree. Emerging out of the hole, he saw Lemres hanging up his clothes on a high hanging branch. It took a moment for Dapper to realise he wasn’t wearing any clothes.

“LEMRES!” Dapper called out, running to him on his pointed legs. “What is going on?! Why am I naked?”

Lemres saw the skeleton running over to him and hopped off the stump he was standing on.

“Hey, Dapper, I was just drying your clothes.” Lemres replied.

“Well there was no need to do so while I was asleep!” Dapper snapped back. “The least you could have done was ask my permission.”

“You were in terrible shape, though.” Lemres replied. “And your clothes weren’t much better. The least you could do now is to be thankful. I didn’t want you lying there in the cold and mud, so I did ya a solid.”

Dapper flinched slightly. Yes, that did happen. He was in terrible shape. But he shook his head to keep that out of his mind. Lemres was right, it seemed. He should at least be thankful for his help.

“Well, I thank you for the concern. I just hope my clothes are alright. Pass them to me.”

Lemres tossed Dapper’s clothes over to the skeleton, who quickly put them on.

“You remember to ask when you want to wash my clothes.” Dapper told Lemres. Lemres nodded in agreement, softly chuckling at Dapper’s snappy tone. Dapper’s expression softened. He shouldn’t stay mad at him, he did shelter him from the rain, after all. Straightening his clothes, he put on his top hat.

“Well, I suppose I better get going.” Dapper admitted. “My shop needs me.”

He was surprised by Lemres grabbing Dapper’s hand. Dapper looked back at Lemres.

“What? The shop opens in a few minutes.”

Dapper was about to remove his hand from Lemres’ grasp when he noticed the concerned look on his face.

“No. You looked terrible last night. I don’t mean to take ya off your schedule but…”

Dapper was about to respond, but Lemres’ words put a large weight on him. He could just stare at Lemres.

“What do you mean by that?” he asked him.

“I don’t think it’s a good idea to run your shop today. Not with your state. There’s something bugging you. I can feel it.”

Dapper scoffed. “It’s nothing for you to worry about.”

But Lemres shook his head. “I want to help you. So… Do you want to talk about it?”

Dapper turned away from Lemres. “I… don’t know.”

Lemres put a hand on Dapper’s shoulder. “I know something is bugging you, Dapper. If you go to the shop now, you probably won’t take your mind off it. Why not take a day off?”

Dapper looked at Lemres. He pondered for a moment. Was that right? Was something really bugging him? A small glimpse of a memory appeared in his head. When he looked up at Lemres, he nodded slowly.

“You’re not wrong.” He said. “But is it really so serious that it requires me to take a day off?”

Lemres nodded.

Dapper sighed. “Alright. If that’s what you believe… If you really think I should take a day off…” He clasped Lemres’ hand in his own and smiled. “Then, I’ll take a day off.”

Lemres smiled at him, but a niggling part of him felt that Dapper’s smile seemed forced. Lemres forced the thought into the farthest recesses of his mind. Today is going to very long indeed…

\---

Lemres and Dapper walked through Nahe Forest side by side. Lemres noticed a slight imbalance in Dapper’s own walking and stayed close by him so that he could catch him should he trip up and fall. He probably didn’t notice, but Dapper’s tense body relaxed when he moved closer. Nonetheless, Dapper was fazed by just how close Lemres was nearing him.

“…Lemres…?”

Lemres moved closer still, making the skeleton blush profusely. 

“Lemres, I think that’s close enough. I can take care of myself.”

The warlock smiled at him. “Alright, but if you fall, I’ll catch you.”

Dapper looked up at Lemres and chuckled slightly as he walked. As they walked through the forest, Dapper became increasingly comfortable with Lemres’ closeness, the sounds of birds singing their melodies in the trees, and the warm slightly ethereal smell of the forest. He wondered how long this serenity would last before he…

“Dapper?”

Lemres saw that Dapper had stopped abruptly. On closer inspection, Lemres could see that Dapper’s eyes had constricted to pinpoints. Lemres trembled. Something was indeed very wrong. And today was especially bad. He seized Dapper in a deep hug, burying his head into his chest. Dapper’s tense trembling body began to relax as he felt Lemres tightly hug him, and his eyes began to dilate. He slowly put his arms around Lemres and returned the hug.

“…Lem… I’m sorry…” Dapper murmured. “I was just thinking about something.”

Lemres looked down at the skeleton and wrapped his arms slightly tighter around him.

“Dapper… Do you want to sit down and talk about it?” he asked.

Dapper’s eyes widened in surprised at Lemres’s question. He pulled quickly out of Lemres’ embrace to look up at him.

“What?” Dapper spluttered. “Why?”

Lemres still held Dapper’s arms in his hands as he returned Dapper’s gaze. His expression was one of concern.

“I want to help you. Talking about whatever it is you’re thinking about can take your mind off it.”

Lemres’ reply caught Dapper off guard. Breaking his gaze away from Lemres, he thought about it for a moment. He wasn’t sure how to respond to that question… he usually keeps those kinds of memories locked away, but in front of Lemres, he will probably start probing him for information. He probably shouldn’t keep the warlock waiting, but what if word spreads to eavesdroppers? He wasn’t prepared for that possibility. The skeleton looked back at Lemres and moved in unusually close to him.

“Fine.” The skeleton murmured, his voice unusually quiet and low. “But keep everything I say a secret. No one else must know.”

“Don’t worry Dapper.” Lemres whispered back. “Everything you say will be safe with me.”

“Good. Considering I have no other choice… It’s the only way.”

Dapper pulled Lemres along by his hand and led him to an enclosed part of the forest. It was close to Lake Aculia, surrounded by trees and far from Primp Town. The waters of Lake Aculia were crystal clear, showing clearly the long-abandoned ruins that resided underwater. When they reached the edge of the lake, Dapper sat down on the grass. He motioned Lemres to sit beside him, and the warlock complied.

Taking a deep breath, Dapper began to speak.

“Long ago, I was a well-respected poet of my village. I used to come from an aristocratic family who were very respected and, well, quite rich…”


	2. Osolo

_The beautiful young man worked hard on his newest poem. His long blonde curly hair was pushed back to prevent it from getting into the black ink on the paper as he worked. He wore tiny orange glasses as he wrote with an ethereal elegance his poem. His name was Osolo, son of the rich and powerful family of Claudestine. He had many sisters, but each one of them had gone on their own journey, and he was the only boy of the family. He hoped someday he would find love, as he was born on the eve of Christmas, a very romantic time of the year, and the poem he was writing today was about finding love._

_One day, he thought to himself, I will find a wife and continue my family’s heritage._

_He had already written the first verse:_

**_One tender moment was more than enough_ **

_One tender moment with a lover he would cherish, a lover who would support him as much as he would support her would satisfy him forever. He wondered if he would have any children with his lover. He wondered what his lover would look like… or even what they do. But no woman ever takes him seriously. His hair was long, blonde and curly. His skin was soft and smooth. He wore purple eyeshadow. He had a slender, unassuming physique._

_“Oh, look, it’s the pretty boy!” They would jeer._

_“Effeminate cutie!” They would coo._

_“You look like a woman yourself!” They would sneer._

_No woman ever took him seriously. But many men of his village understood his disdain. Not every man looked like someone who eats a dozen eggs a week. Many of them had a svelte physique much like he did. But even then, only a handful of those men had long hair like he did, and they most certainly did not the same blond curly hair he did._

_As he worked at his desk in the living room of his family’s mansion, he had been began hearing voices from outside, and it was beginning to distract him._

_“It hadn’t seemed as though a land like Primp could be attacked…”_

_“But someone had the gall to do exactly that!”_

_“You heard what had happened to their homes? They were razed to the ground!”_

_“OH MY- That’s terrible! Are they alright?”_

_“Yes! They fled! And they ended up coming here! No wonder we’re getting so many visitors!”_

_“They are not visitors. They’re refugees.”_

_Osolo had enough. He clutched at his blond hair in annoyance. The constant chatter of the same bloody subject was getting old fast. And all they were talking about was that their homes were razed. By who, he wondered. He let curiosity get the better of him. And right at the middle of his latest poem too… He stepped outside of the mansion doors to see the gathering of villagers conversing._

_“All you ever talk about is that your homes were razed!” He shouted at the group. “But do you have any idea who would do such an atrocious act?”_

_The villagers stared at the curly haired man who appeared before them and looked at each other. A middle-aged woman stepped forward._

_“You mean you don’t know?” she asked. “Why, the lord of Ta-Toon-Da Castle! It’s all because of that stupid tax he put on us. He razed most of our homes to the ground because we were defying him!”_

_“Lord of Ta-Toon-Da Castle?” Osolo asked._

_“That horrendous man lives in the far north, on the highest top of Zig-Zag Peak! Beyond the cemetery, beyond Lake Alucubi! The route to his castle is dangerous! I think you know better than to go there!”_

_Osolo thought for a moment. The Lord of Ta-Toon-Da castle was a powerful man, for sure… but he was the son of the aristocratic family of Claudestine, and surely if the lord would not answer to lowlife commoners… maybe…_

_“You will listen to me,” Osolo told the villagers. “I will go to the Lord’s castle. I will confront him on his atrocities. I will alleviate this tax he has put on your houses. Trust me.”_

_The villagers stared at each other. After a few moments, they laughed their heads off._

_“You?! A pretty boy?!” A younger woman of about 20 howled. “Ridiculous. Why, the lord would have your head ripped off before you can say ‘HO HO HO!’”_

_Osolo trembled with rage. He never been so offended by these women in his life. He opened his mouth to try and speak…_

_“Son.” A voice boomed._

_Osolo’s father emerged from the crowd. He walked up to his young son._

_“F-father…” Osolo stammered._

_“Osolo, you would wish to journey to Ta-Toon-Da castle and confront its lord?” His father asked._

_“Yes! If it means making him pay for the atrocious act of razing the people’s villages, I’m willing to do it!”_

_“The boy is insane.” One of the young woman villagers scoffed. “No one can stand up to him, not even-.”_

_“Enough.” Osolo’s Father said, in his loud, booming voice. His voice was powerful, he barely needs to raise it to get the villager to shut up. “My son will go to Ta-Toon-Da Castle. I trust him enough with that task. As the heir to my heritage, he is more than capable enough to reach the castle.”_

_He turned to his son. “Come.”_

_“Father...”_

_Not saying another word, Osolo went with his father back inside._


	3. The Quest and The Lord

Lemres listened intentively to Dapper’s introduction. He was already aware that the skeleton used to have long curly hair, he remembered Dapper telling him that at a tournament Ms Accord once held. But to hear more of the skeleton’s past … it made him want to learn more about it. He wanted to know about Dapper’s life before he was a skeleton.

Dapper could hear little Onion Pixies scrambling in the background. He stood up and tugged Lemres’ sleeve.

“Come on, creatures are eavesdropping.” He murmured into Lemres’ ear. “We have to keep moving- I want a change of scenery, anyway.”

Lemres was confused for a moment, but looking at the approaching group of Onion Pixies, he understood why Dapper was skittish. If they stayed any longer, no doubt the Onion Pixies will talk about it amongst themselves. But if someone with the ability to understand what they were saying were to come across them…

He didn’t want to think about that scenario.

“Then where do you want to go?” Lemres softly asked Dapper.

“The Miru Coast. Away from anyone who might hear us.”

Lemres nodded in understanding. Not very many people visit the Miru Coast anyway. Many of them would rather explore the forest for supplies than go to the sea. So, he followed Dapper out of the forest and towards the Miru Coast.

The Miru coast was far from any sort of civilisation, and the Onion Pixies never stray far from Nahe forest to see it. The Ocean Prince is the only recurring resident of the coast, and he is usually playing in the vast open sea, far from the beach where Dapper and Lemres were headed. Reaching the beach, Dapper sat down on the sand, and looked out to sea. Lemres sat beside him, close by him so Dapper would have company and wouldn’t have to search far for him.

Dapper stared out at the sea for a long time. The ocean waves seemed endless and unrelentingly calming to the skeleton. But it was not long before a memory came up in his head… He saw himself throwing a trinket into the ocean… The Memory of Chu. He blinked the image out of his mind, shaking his head furiously.

“No… not yet…” he murmured to himself.

“What’s wrong, Dapper?” Lemres asked.

Dapper snapped out of his trance and looked back at Lemres. Immediately he felt himself relax.

“Oh…? Lemres, I…”

“It’s alright, you can tell me.”

Dapper swallowed hard. He remembered what Lemres had said about talking about it. It could at the very least take it off his mind… But he didn’t want to talk about that memory… not yet. But he still wanted to at least talk about his life story to the warlock, seeing as he promised that he would keep it a secret from the others.

He took a deep breath.

“… Lemres…”

“Hmm? What is it?”

“I think I should tell you about the person I met… the one that beat you to me… long ago… would you mind that?”

“Oh no, I don’t mind at all! If anything, I appreciate that you’re willing to talk about it with me!”

Dapper sighed. He was relieved at the fact that Lemres was so eager to hear Dapper talk about his life. After all, he promised him that he won’t tell anyone else about his past life, but a part of him still didn’t trust him. Lemres’ eagerness frightened him as much as it pleased him, and he hoped that this would all be worthwhile by the end. And despite that, he still had a terrible feeling that this might go horribly wrong.

\------

_Claude Claudestine, Osolo’s father, took Osolo back inside the mansion to prepare him for travel. His mother overheard the commotion and ran down the stairs to try and make her husband reconsider._

_“Claude, he’s mad… He will get himself killed!” Osolo’s mother cried._

_“Beatrice, he will be 21 in a matter of months. He is old enough to look after himself.”_

_“But Claude, the castle is guarded by many foul creatures!”_

_“If Osolo is willing to risk his life to go to Ta-Toon-Da castle, then we should allow him to make that choice.”_

_Osolo had grabbed a bag and filled it with various essentials, such as a map, a camera passed down from his grandfather, books, rations of food and clothes. He had slung them on his back and turned to his parents. His mother was glancing at him with tears in her eyes._

_“Be safe on your journey… won’t you?” she asked him._

_“I will… mother…” Osolo promised. Before he went out of the door, he took one last look at his parents._

_“… Pray for my safety.”_

_And so began Osolo’s great journey to Ta-Toon-Da Castle._

\------

_Osolo looked at the map his father had given him. It was his father’s own map, back when he was a travelling merchant selling trinkets and oddities, and it was passed down to him when he became too old to travel. He made a lot of money from that business, and when he came to Primp, he had fell in love with the mansion’s young heiress, Beatrice Claudestine. And they settled down four months later. The oldest of Osolo’s sisters was 8 years his senior, and the three others were 6, 3 and 1 year older than he was. And now, Osolo had inherited his father’s belongings. And that included his map. The Nahe forest covered many of Primp’s landmarks, such as Lake Alucubi and the crystal cave. Zigzag peak lay in the far north of Nahe forest and led directly to Ta Toon- Da castle. Between them, though, was the old cemetery. No one normally visits the cemetery, and thus with time, it became increasingly overgrown with bushes and old ancient trees. Osolo had to go through the area to get to ZigZag peak. Osolo felt uneasy, looking at the cemetery. It looked shady, especially with all the overgrown bushes and spooky looking trees. What a sad fate for everyone who is buried here, Osolo thought. To be forgotten and eventually buried by nature. He noticed an old crone patrolling the graveyard further up ahead. She looked about seventy years old, maybe more with that gnarled, curled old cane she held in her right hand. Putting away his map, Osolo approached her._

_“Excuse me.” Osolo called out to her. The crone turned to Osolo’s direction, and wasn’t fazed by his beautiful blond hair, or his smartly dressed attire of a white blouse and lavender waistcoat._

_“Oh, a trespasser.” She replied nonchalantly. “This is a sacred place for the dead. And what brings you here?”_

_“I want to know how to get to Ta-Toon-Da castle.” Osolo answered. “If you don’t mind.”_

_The crone scoffed at Osolo. “You have a lot of nerve to come to this place and ask me a question like that.”_

_She inspected Osolo carefully, admiring his soft curly blonde hair and young complexion. “Then again, not many people come here, especially one as beautiful as yourself… I was quite a looker in my youth…”_

_“You were…?” Osolo asked. His expression brightened. “Please, tell me more! I’m interested!”_

_The crone smiled at him. “When I was your age, I had that same soft curly hair… only it wasn’t blonde, it was chestnut brown!”_

_Osolo laughed, finding the crone’s youthful reminisce charming. This was the first positive interaction with a woman he had in a long time. Ever since the last of his older sisters had left to go on her own journey, Osolo had no woman besides his mum to go to have a sensible conversation with._

_The old crone glanced at a particularly dark path out of the cemetery, overgrown with vines, dead trees and bushes. “If you must go to Ta-Toon-Da castle, then you must follow that path.”_

_Osolo stared at her in disbelief. “You mean that overgrown dark path?”_

_“Yes. Be warned though- many vicious creatures live in that part of the forest.”_

_Osolo nodded in understanding. “I’ll be careful…”_

_Bidding the crone farewell, Osolo headed down the dark twisted path. His feet snapped a couple of twigs, which startled him slightly, but he pressed on. Only for a moment, however. He immediately felt uneasy when he heard soft growling in the distance. The dark path wasn’t just overgrown, it also seemed to have monsters. The growling sounded again, much louder this time. He realised that the growling was in fact the sound of creaking wood. And a lot of wood at that. Branches, leaves and twigs rustled loudly as a large, dead oak tree, smothered by ivy, collapsed on to the forest floor. Many woodland creatures and onion pixies scrambled to escape the carnage. Osolo, seeing the commotion, screamed and ran off in their direction. He didn’t account for the bushes that torn against his clothing as he raced for shelter. Brambles snagged against his waistcoat and tore into his white blouse. He managed to escape Nahe Forest and come out at the base of Zig Zag Peak, where he collapsed in a heap. The jagged peak swayed side by side as it led up to the castle at its very peak. An arch was just visible, decorated with Puyo with demonic bat wings. The castle had the same menacing design at its peak. Osolo stumbled to his feet. He was covered in leaves and debris from the commotion in Nahe Forest and his clothes were badly torn. He looked up at the castle and swallowed hard. There was no turning back now, he thought. With no other option but go forward, he walked up the long winding path up Zig Zag Peak. Stepping forward, he heard nearby fluttering to his right. He looked around, scared._

_“Who’s there?” He called out. “Show yourself!”  
“You’ve got a lot of pluck, coming to our neck of the woods!” a sharp squawk sounded._

_“Who are you? Where are you?”_

_“Right here!”_

_A large pink bird darted from the sky. Osolo managed to barely dodge out of the way. The bird crashed into a rock and stumbled to its feet._

_“You dare dodge our peck attacks like that?! Such skill…” the bird remarked._

_Osolo’s eyes widened at the large gathering of pink birds beginning to gather around their brother._

_“But can you dodge A THOUSAND PECK ATTACKS?!”_

_The birds on their brother’s signal immediately shot themselves at Osolo._

_He had little to no time to react. He could only stand frozen as the birds launched themselves at him._

_I’m going to die here, he thought._

_He closed his eyes and braced himself, raising his arms in a weak attempt. After a few seconds, time seemed to freeze, and the peak, which mere moments ago was filled with the sounds of squawking birds, was eerily silent. He wondered why the birds had stopped. Lowering his arms, Osolo looked around. All of the birds seemed to have gone back in the nest. But they were preparing to attack him a second ago! Did someone… wipe their memories? Osolo took a breath and shook his head and pressed on up the peak._

\------

_The Zig Zag peak seemed to stretch on for miles. By the time Osolo reached the gate, his feet were sore, and his already torn clothes were now wet with his sweat. He was panting like a dog and was parched as hell. If he walked any further, he would have collapsed by now. He finally made it to the Door of Ta-Toon-Da castle and didn’t even hesitate to knock on the door. He just wanted to get this over with. Confront the lord, overturn the tax, and return home. Bashing his fist against the mahogany door, he waited for a response. There didn’t seem to be any. At least, he though there wasn’t. But then he heard the repeated sound of heavy footsteps that crept closer and closer. Osolo waited with bated breath. He was about to meet the great lord of the castle. Swallowing hard, he prepared himself. The mahogany door finally opened after what seemed like an eternity. Osolo’s eyes widened at the man standing before him. He wore a long reddish-purple cape held with gold chains that had purple talismans adorned with yellow symbols in the shape of a curled ‘s’ and borders. His deep greyish purple waistcoat and black pants seemed to complement his form well. He had long tousled bluish-purple hair and tanned skin that completed his image of an intimidating all powerful lord._

_There was no mistaking it, Osolo thought. This was the great lord of Ta-Toon-Da castle._

_The lord who shall be nameless._


	4. Negotiations

_“Who might you be?” The lord of Ta-Toon-Da Castle asked. His deep, commanding voice sent shockwaves through Osolo’s small body and he trembled visibly before him. Swallowing hard, Osolo took a deep breath._

_“My name is Osolo,” he responded before the great lord, trying hard not to sound timid. “I heard that you have burned down villagers’ homes when they defied the tax you put on them. I have come to rectify that.”_

_The great lord chuckled softly. “You seem a long way from home… ‘Osolo’. I can’t believe an aristocrat would ask his son to do his dirty work.”_

_Osolo flinched. “How… How do you know my father?”_

_“I don’t. I assumed he was an aristocrat because of the clothes you are wearing.”_

_Osolo scowled. Clearly this lord had little respect for his subjects._

_“I have come to talk you into reconsidering the tax you have put on the people of my village.” Osolo said. “You burned down their homes when they defied you.”_

_“There is no need to repeat yourself.” The lord responded. “I already know what is at stake…”_

_He pulled a devilish smirk at Osolo. “Unless of course you let me kill you.”_

_Osolo laughed. It surprised the lord how much like a noblewoman he sounded._

_“As if I’m afraid of you.” Osolo challenged, and walked into the castle, the lord unable to stop him._

_“Curses.” The lord muttered. “I let my guard down…” He didn’t want the boy into his castle. He wanted him out of his face._

_Osolo could feel daggers shot at his back by the lord as he watched him enter the castle. He came to admire the ornate designs of the walls of the hallway. Statues of dragons lined the hallway as it let into the central room. A strange symbol in the shape of a curled ‘s’ could be found on some parts of the walls. Osolo wasn’t sure whenever to be wary… or absolutely mesmerised by the design. But the central room completely took his breath away. There was a beautiful chandelier hanging from the centre of the ceiling. The same strange emblem on the lord’s talismans and the walls was prevalent as the highlights in the design of the purple wheel at the centre of the room. The stairs leading to the second floor had been covered with a purple carpet lined with gold, the banisters were also lined with gold. There were doors at different sides of the great hall that were a different shade of purple, leading to the different wings of the castle._

_“It… it’s beautiful…” Osolo murmured, mesmerised by the sight._

_“So, you want to discuss business matters with me?” The lord called out from behind him._

_Osolo turned to face the lord. The lord was about 7 inches taller than Osolo, but the imposing look he gave him made him seem much taller. Osolo trembled in the castle lord’s presence. His lip quivered as he struggled to find words to say._

_“I…”_

_Swallowing hard, Osolo bit his tongue. Considering this is the great lord of Ta Toon Da castle, he was careful not to offend him._

_“My lord… I want to discuss business matters with you… The people of my village are revolting against the tax you have put on them. And yet, you respond by razing their homes… why would you do that?”._

_The lord looked at Osolo with a curious eye. Indeed, this boy was the son of an aristocrat. He seems well educated in responding to and addressing lordship. He examined the boy closely. No, he seems too mature to be a mere boy. He is already at adulthood. At least just at the first age of adulthood. He narrowed his eyes at Osolo._

_“They were being unreasonable.” He replied simply._

_“Unreasonable? Why were they being unreasonable?”_

_The lord squeezed his lip. He eyed the map in Osolo’s bag._

_“The map… give it to me.”_

_Osolo saw that the lord desired the map and got it out for him. The lord took the map from Osolo’s hands and unfurled it. He displayed it in front of him and Osolo. He pointed to the area around his castle._

_“The town surrounding this castle is the only way to carry crops around Primp’s terrain.” The lord explained. “The people there are rugged and well suited to travel in that environment. Seeing as the people of your village live far more peaceful and secluded pastures, I saw a toll there as a reasonable compromise.”_

_“And they voiced discourse over that toll!” Osolo snapped back. “And because of that, you punished them!”_

_“I am guiltless.” The lord responded, unfazed._

_“Guiltless?!” Osolo cried out. “You imply you don’t care about people’s lives?”_

_“Osolo.” The lord retorted. “There were no casualties.”_

_No casualties? As in no deaths? Osolo couldn’t understand it. He had assumed that people had been killed by this lord, considering he had razed their homes to the ground. But no casualties? Osolo began to wonder… was this great and terrifying lord really as bad as the villagers said he was? He thought hard about that possibility. Still, he needed to be wary. The lord might throw him out at any moment._

_As they walked up the stairs up to the second floor, Osolo began to relax around the lord. The lord looked imposing, for sure, but he walked with an air that made him seem like a diplomat. A much more dignified man than he thought…_

_“The people demand that you reconsider the toll.” He eventually started. “They find it unfair to have to pay a toll to have things shipped short distances to their part of Primp.”_

_“Osolo… If the people of your village truly find the toll unfair, then allow me to speak to them.” The lord replied. “They may revolt if I send you.”_

_“Why?”_

_“Because they may think that I have made you mine. It will be less suspicious if I talk to them myself.”_

_“But they may still find I’ve been gone for a long while. You’ll be damned either way.”_

_“Indeed.”_

_“The thing is though; I took three hours on foot to get here. And I’ve only been here a few minutes. They will expect me to be at least a day or two here trying to change your mind.”_

_“So what of the toll? You wish me to reconsider it?”_

_Osolo nodded. “Of course I do!”_

_The lord shook his head. “It would be rash to directly stop the toll, Osolo. I think it would be wiser to put out different prices on items based on their size.”_

_“So… you suggest you charge transport fees based on the size of the crops being transported?”_

_“I believe so. But even then, it would be rash to begin transitioning the toll now.”_

_“How long has the toll been in effect?” Osolo asked. The two men had reached the master bedroom on the second floor and went inside. The room was decorated with various shades of purple- the wall was one colour of purple with an intricate gold pattern, the floor was a solid darker purple. The regal bed had white pillows and lavender coloured satin and silk sheets as well as gold railings and mahogany drawers beneath the mattress._

_“About two months.” The lord replied. He looked over to the window by the bedside. The sun was beginning to set in the horizon, and in a few hours, it would be night-time. He sighed softly._

_“I believe that will be enough for today.” He told Osolo. “You can do what you want now. I’ll think about changing the toll.”_

_“Thank you, my lord.” Osolo replied in gratitude. “Hopefully this will make the villagers happy.”_

_Osolo smiled and prepared to leave the room._

_“Osolo.”_

_Osolo turned back at the lord. “What is it?”_

_“Your clothes are still torn from coming here.” The lord replied. “I can make you new clothes, if that is what you desire.”_

_Osolo thought about it for a moment. He had forgotten he looked a mess from travelling. His clothes were ragged and torn from the earlier commotion in the forest cemetery, and from the attempted murder by the birds. But should he trust this man? His parents already made him such wonderful clothes. But for some reason, he can’t help but imagine what this lord might make for him._

_“That would be nice.” Osolo replied, finally, and opening the door, he finally went out. The lord watched him leave, and then sat on his bed. Getting out a book, he sat there and read it until the night completely took over the sky and he was fast asleep._

_Osolo closed the door to the master room behind him and sighed. Thank goodness, he thought. He was thinking on changing that toll. The process might take weeks, maybe even months. Still he was ready for it. He decided to explore the castle for a bit, it looked so… ethereal. He wasn’t sure if the lord would mind, but then again, he did say he could do whatever he wanted. Heading to the west wing downstairs, he found himself in a massive library filled with books. Books were stacked in long rows on ancient mahogany shelves, some were clearly untouched and had been gathering dust for many years._

_Did the lord really keep all these books, Osolo thought. If so, he must be an avid reader._

_Getting out one of the books, Osolo picked out a comfy chair and sat down to read it. He intended to only read a few pages of the book, but he simply could not put it down. By the time he had finished reading, it was already midnight. He was sobbing hard by the end of it as well, the story was a tragedy about a prince who falls in love with a warrior from another kingdom who died to protect the prince from harm. It was horrendous. He thought that they would both survive to the end, but the warrior perished at the hand of his own kingdom for his so-called betrayal._

_But why a prince? Surely, he would have fallen in love with a woman, right?_

_Men were supposed to fall in love with women._ _At least that was what he thought when he first started reading._

_But as he read the rest of the book, he found it strangely relatable, and he suddenly felt feelings began to develop within him, as well._

_Could it be… that he may be falling in love with the lord of Ta Doon Ta castle? No, that can’t be! Can it? Osolo forced that out of his mind._

_But then there was what had happened with the birds of Zigzag peak. They suddenly stopped what they were doing before they could kill him. As if they had forgotten they were trying to kill him. Nothing could have caused that to happen. Unless… Someone was controlling them? It suddenly hit Osolo like a tonne of bricks._

_The lord must have had something to do with it._

_Was he really that powerful to control the minds of birds and other creatures? If so, that could only mean one thing. The lord probably wasn’t human. Or he is very talented at magic. Mind control magic was not difficult for people to learn, but it was very much so to master. The very most people could do was destroy their minds with a Mind Blast, but to do it to literally dozens of birds and not have them crippled to vegetables was an indomitable feat. He believed it was the latter._

_Wiping the leftover tears from his eyes, he got up to put the book back when he saw a cute purple bat fluttering where the book was originally placed on the shelf. Osolo was surprised at this odd occurrence. Shouldn’t this bat be in a cave? He learned when he was young that they mostly roosted in caves. So why a library? The bat squeaked cutely, making Osolo chuckle. Reaching out a hand, he let the bat crawl onto his hand. Suddenly, he heard a cacophony of squeaks. He looked up and saw the library celling was crawling with bats. Osolo wasn’t sure whenever to scream or to be amazed at the sight. If he could just squint, he could see that beneath all the fur and wing, some of the bats were resting on a long-abandoned chandelier. He looked at the little one squeaking in his hand. Nuzzling it, he whispered softly “Go on.” The little bat fluttered up to the rest of its brethren, and Osolo watched it go. And the other bats all seemed to squeak their thanks._

_He wondered if he should stay here. He didn’t want to return to his family in a sorry state. May be when he gets the new clothes off the lord, maybe then he can go back. Leaving the library, he looked for a bedroom to sleep in. He can’t sleep in the master’s bedroom, for obvious reasons. So, he headed to the east wing. He wondered if there were guest rooms there, they might have a bed to sleep in. He came across a large door in the east wing and opened it. No, that was the kitchen. It was very big, with several workspaces for preparing food, and areas for cooking, like grills and ovens. Funnily enough, it was deserted. Did the lord have not time to hire staff? It was a very big castle, after all. Going back to the second floor, Osolo found another door far from where the master room was situated. Opening it, Osolo found it was another bedroom. It was far from as regal as the master room, with only a bed with white silk sheets and a bedside table with a table lamp, but it was better than nothing, he supposed. Or if he thinks about it, running the risk of being shat on by thousands of bats back at the library. Getting underneath the modest bedsheets, Osolo went to sleep. Strangely though, the lord was all he could dream about…_


	5. New Clothes

_Morning came shining through the window of the room Osolo slept in, yet he was well underneath the sheets, still sleeping. His soft rhythmic breathing faintly drowned out the sounds of birds outside the castle._

**_SQUEAK! SQUEAK!_ **

_Osolo awoke with a start, shooting up from beneath the bedsheets. Looking down, he saw the small little bat he befriended the previous night. Smiling up at him, the bat jumped up and down and crawled towards his bed. Picking up the tiny thing, Osolo nuzzled it softly._

_“Did you wake me up?” He whispered to it, smiling._

_The bat squeaked happily in reply. Kissing his forehead, Osolo stroked it. “Thank you.”_

_Carrying the bat in his hands, Osolo emerged from his borrowed bedroom. He hoped the lord didn’t see him, then again, he anticipated what sort of clothes he might make for him. Walking down the stairs of the central hall of the castle, he wondered what other sights the castle contained. Looking down at the bat he carried in his hand, he asked it “Where shall we go today?”_

_Tha bat fluttered off of Osolo’s hand and fluttered into the direction of the hallway leading to the front doors of the castle._

_“Do you want me to leave?” Osolo asked the bat. The bat shook his head. That must mean a no._

_“Really? What do you want me to show me?”_

_The bat fluttered closer to the front doors, begging Osolo to open them. Chuckling at the eccentric little bat’s eagerness, Osolo opened the door. The bat flew out. It didn’t factor in how bright the morning sun really was. It fell to the ground, stunned, only just being caught in Osolo’s hands._

_“The morning sun scared you, didn’t it?” Osolo whispered softly to it, holding it gently in one hand and shielding it from the sun with the other._

_He looked at his waistcoat, still torn from the commotion in the forest. He checked a pocket sewn into the right side of it. Thank goodness, he thought, that it wasn’t damaged. He gently placed the bat inside it. “There you go.” It was just deep enough for the bat to hide inside, but not so deep that the bat ended up trapped inside._

_Exploring the area around the castle, Osolo and his little bat friend looked for interesting things to discover. The little bat squeaked in his pocket, pointing his little wing in a direction. Osolo smiled at the little thing and walked on in the direction the bat was pointing. Osolo found himself in an extravagant courtyard filled with large, beautiful hydrangeas. The flowers were a vivid purple, with a few others being blue and others being red, and insects flitted to and from the flower heads busily. Osolo gazed in awe at the beautiful sight, and the bat in his pocked squeaked with glee. A butterfly fluttered above Osolo’s head and danced around his body. Many more butterflies of many different colours and sizes joined the dance, flitting past Osolo and joining the first one. Osolo marvelled at the wonderous sight. The butterflies even enticed the little bat in Osolo’s pocket to come fluttering out. The bat was more wary this time, thanks to his first sudden experience with the sun. However, after some persuasion by the butterflies, the bat was convinced into joining the playful dancing with them. Osolo laughed in amazement at the butterflies swirling around him, and the bat that joined in with them. He watched happily as his bat friend played and frolicked with the butterflies. He sat down on a bench at the centre of the garden and smiled. He then saw a familiar figure with bluish purple hair…_

_“Osolo.”_

_Osolo flinched when the lord called for him. He got off his seat and ran over to him._

_“M… my lord, I was just looking around this place.” Osolo said. “Your garden is wondrous.”_

_“I have something for you, Osolo.” The lord replied. “Do you want to come inside?”_

_“Oh yes.” Osolo responded. There was a tinge of sadness in his voice. After today, he may have to return home. It won’t matter, either way. He just hoped that the lord will change the toll and hopefully reclaim the villagers’ trust… He whistled up at his bat still playing with the butterflies. The bat flew back into Osolo’s pocket, squeaking all the while. Then he and the lord went back inside the castle._

_“What is it? Is it done? My new clothes?” Osolo asked the lord as they went back upstairs._

_The lord nodded. Of course he would guess correctly. The excited younger man could barely contain his excitement, but he remained calm. The lord didn’t notice, but he felt a small twinge of a smile begin to creep up on him. Opening the door to his bedroom, he gestured Osolo to wait outside. Osolo waited in anticipation for the lord’s gift. When the lord was finished, he opened the door back up for Osolo. Osolo hesitated for a moment, and went in. He saw on the lord’s bed something purple folded neatly up and resting on the bedsheets. There was a white shirt also folded up next to it._

_“Go on.” The lord urged. “Don’t be shy.”_

_Osolo took off his clothes and immediately put on the new clothes the lord had made for him. Brushing his clothes to straighten them, he turned to the lord._

_“How do I look?” He asked._

_“There is a full-length mirror close to the door.” The lord responded. “Look at yourself there.”_

_Turning to the mirror, Osolo’s heart skipped a beat. He wore a beautiful purple long coat over his white shirt. Taking a few steps back, he trembled slightly._

_“It’s beautiful.” He whispered._

_The lord looked at a purple top hat also resting on the bed. He was surprised Osolo didn’t pick that up. He smiled softly to himself. He walked up behind Osolo and handed him the hat. Osolo took the hat and put it on his head. Looking at himself again in the mirror, he clasped his hands in amazement._

_“It looks fabulous! You are a wonderful craftsman!”_

_The lord smiled at Osolo’s overjoyed reception of his work. He never expected anyone to be so friendly and easy going around him. Most people like him would turn tail and flee. The lord’s expression faded at the thought. He will have to let him go soon. Before…_

_“Hmm? What is it, my lord?”_

_The lord flinched when Osolo said that. The inflection of “My lord” was nothing like any of the previous times. Rather than being sub-ordinate and like a soldier addressing his lord, it seemed more… casual. Like a best friend, or something more. He suddenly began to turn away from Osolo. Osolo saw the lord’s unease and went closer to him._

_“Is something wrong?” Osolo asked. The lord looked back at Osolo._

_“Nothing is wrong.” The lord retorted. “Something was on my mind.”_

_Osolo gave a worried look. He then chuckled softly. “You are full of mysteries, my lord.”_

_That playful tone again. The lord didn’t react as badly this time, he was actually starting to like it. If just barely._

_“Those clothes I have given you are made of the finest silk.” The lord said, a gentle inflection in his voice._

_Osolo laughed, then an idea stuck him. He clasped his hands together._

_“I know! Maybe we should take a picture of my new clothes!” He searched around for his bag, then remembered he had left the bag in the guest room he stayed in for the night._

_“Be right back!”_

_He ran out the room. The lord waited patiently for him. He had assumed that Osolo would have spent the night in one of the guest rooms, there wouldn’t have been much point in making the clothes if Osolo had wanted to return home. Osolo returned with the bag at hand and laid it on the bed. Getting out an old-fashioned camera, Osolo was horrified to discover it was in pieces. It must have got smashed as he fled the forest. He turned to the lord._

_“Erm… are you as good a camera craftsman as you are a clothes designer?” He asked meekly._

_The lord scoffed at Osolo’s attempt to sound cute, and it then turned into a light chuckle. He got the broken camera pieces off of Osolo, and also went and got his old torn clothes._

_“I will see what I can do, Osolo. For now, though, you can return to your room.”_

_“Oh, thank you!” Osolo cried, relieved. Getting the rest of his stuff, he got up to leave. He stopped for a moment. Looking back at the lord, he said “I was in your library yesterday. You have many wonderful books.” Osolo chuckled. “I read one of them.”_

_The lord was surprised to hear that. He smiled at him. “You and I are more alike than I thought.” He replied._

_Smiling, Osolo headed back to the guest room. The lord watched him go, and then saw a small wriggling thing emerge from Osolo’s old waistcoat pocket. It was a little purple bat. Dizzily, he fluttered out the room. He plopped on Osolo’s bed, not even waking the blonde-haired man, who gently pulled him close as he slept._


	6. Love

_The next morning, Osolo mostly did nothing much. He played with his bat for a while as he eagerly awaited the lord to return with the repaired camera and clothes. Several hours passed. Still he waited. The little bat he held in his hands nuzzled him softly. He smiled down at him._

_“It’s alright.” He softly told it. “He’ll be back shortly.”_

_Another hour passed. Still no sign of him. Osolo began to wonder. What is his lord doing now? Is he repairing his camera? Or is he doing something else? The little bat squeaked in his hand. Petting his head with his finger, Osolo got off of his bed._

_“Maybe… we should go find him.” He proposed. Taking the little bat with him, Osolo went to look for the lord. He tried the west wing for the lord, where the library was. As he tried all of the rows, Osolo realised that the library was even bigger than he thought. He looked at the bookshelves, all stacked with books. He then noticed one of the books sticking slightly out of a particular bookshelf at the far back of the library. He pushed it back in slightly and it went in with a small click. He then heard a loud rumble. He realised he must have activated a switch. The bookshelf then spun around, taking Osolo with it. The bat managed to escape, squeaking loudly._

_Osolo stepped forward a couple times, trying to regain his balance. Straightening himself up he found himself in a stone hallway. Unlike the rest of the castle, the hallway seemed very plain, with only torches lighting the way. Osolo swallowed. This was nothing like the rest of the lord’s castle, he thought. Was he hiding something from him? Walking down the stone hallway, he eventually came face to face with a giant stone statue of a warrior goddess, her hair permanently frozen in place blowing in an unforeseen wind by the ancient stone masonry who made her. Osolo stared at the statue for a long time, and then looked down and saw an altar, with a plate of curry placed at its centre. Looking down slightly from that, he saw, on his knees, with his bluish-purple hair and reddish-purple cape…_

_The lord. He was silently praying to the statue. Osolo swallowed hard. He didn’t want to interrupt his lord from such a sacred ritual. But he didn’t want to leave him either. Getting on his knees, Osolo clasped his hands together and joined him in silent prayer. He prayed for the day he would get to see his parents again and tell them what had happened with him and the lord. He also prayed for the tax to be incremented out from the villages until it is gone entirely. And that the villagers will be happy._

_He hoped that the lord wouldn’t notice him as he got up to leave. But he did._

_“Osolo.”_

_Osolo flinched in place. He stayed motionless for a couple seconds and looked back at the lord._

_“You… you noticed me?”_

_The lord shook his head. “I sensed your presence as you came here.”_

_Osolo swallowed. He fumbled looking for words to say. “I was… I was just looking for you, you’ve been gone a long time, I-.”_

_The lord stood up and glared directly at Osolo._

_“Osolo… you should not have come here. What I do here, I intend to do it alone.” The lord’s voice and expression were dark._

_Osolo stood in shock. He never heard or seen the lord like this. He never thought he would see his lord angry. Taking a few steps, he rushed out of the chamber. He didn’t notice his lord’s expression becoming one of concern and horror at what he had done._

_Osolo had ran into the room he rented and collapsed on it. He tried and failed to hold back choked pent up sobs as he lay on his bed. His bat saw his friend and fluttered over to lay near him to try and comfort him. It was no use. Osolo kept crying. The bat couldn’t understand why he was upset. He wondered if he should go get help. He flew up from the bed and out the open door._

_The lord called out to Osolo as he searched for him. He came to the central stairs and heard quiet sobbing from one of the rooms on the second floor. It had its door open, as if the person who went inside couldn’t be bothered to shut it behind them. A little purple bat fluttered out of the room and saw the lord. Flying over to him, he squeaked out his plea for help. The lord recognised the bat. It was the same one that fell out of Osolo’s old clothes’ pocket. The bat flew back up to the room and the lord followed it. He went into Osolo’s room and saw him lying on his bed, face deep in a pillow. He walked slowly to Osolo, hoping not to startle him. He gently reached out and stroked his head, taking in the feel of Osolo’s golden blonde hair. He noticed that Osolo’s ragged breathing, torn from sobbing, had started to stabilize. Osolo lifted his head and flinched when he saw his lord staring back at him. Blinking slowly, Osolo sat up slowly on his bed. He said nothing. He only stared at the lord with tear stained eyes. The lord regarded him with remorse and sadness._

_“Osolo, I… didn’t think you would come looking for me.” He admitted._

_He stroked Osolo’s cheek gently with his left hand. Osolo felt the touch and hesitated. The lord saw Osolo’s hesitation._

_“There are some things you should keep to yourself; you see.” He explained. “I never intended you to intrude on something as sacred as worship.”_

_Osolo’s lip tightened. “Then why were you praying there then?” he whispered softly._

_The lord looked at Osolo, who avoided his gaze and looked down._

_“I asked the goddess for guidance.” He replied._

_Osolo looked up at the lord. So that statue back at the hallway was a goddess statue, and he was praying to it…_

_“Guidance for what?” Osolo asked._

_“If the villagers will reconcile with me as their lord.” He replied. “Should I phase out the toll on them.”_

_Osolo turned his gaze away from the lord. “I’m sorry for intruding on your worship.” He said weakly._

_“No, Osolo.”_

_Osolo quickly looked back up at his lord, surprised at his response._

_“If anything, I should be sorry. I lashed out at you when I shouldn’t have.”_

_Osolo’s eyes widened. Was the lord really apologising to him? He never thought the lord would be this humble. The lord sat down on the bed beside him. Looking outside the window, he could see that it was midnight._

_“I have... grown quite fond of your ongoing presence.” The lord continued. “You could have left as early as when we had our first discussion on changing the toll. Yet you never did. Why is that?”_

_Osolo’s mouth opened to try and speak, but nothing came out. He only stared at the lord with an expression of disbelief. Turning away from his lord, he trembled._

_“I… care about you.” He slipped out._

_“You do not.” The lord rejected._

_Osolo flinched. He turned to his lord, even more confused than before._

_“O-of course I do!” He stammered. “I… I-.”_

_“Osolo, you are hiding from your real feelings. I can see what you are hiding. It is more than just that you care for me. It is something stronger. So, tell me. There are some things you don’t notice until you put them into words. Since your thoughts are a puddle from the rain of your feelings…”_

_Osolo listened intentively to what the lord had to say. After a few short moments, it hit him. He now completely understood. It wasn’t just that he cared enough about him to go look for him. No. It was something much stronger. He tried so hard to deny those feelings for him, but he could not do that anymore. Swallowing hard, he looked away from his lord and took a deep breath. He faced him again._

_“I love you.”_

_A silence fell in the room. Neither Osolo nor the lord spoke again for quite a while. Then Osolo spoke._

_“I… at first wanted to leave after we discussed the toll. But then you asked me if you could make me new clothes, seeing as my old ones were torn. I couldn’t put down that offer. So, I stayed and waited. And then I was so ecstatic by how well you made my new clothes, I wanted you to fix my old ones and my camera. And…”_

_He stopped and drew a deep breath._

_“This castle… is so full of mysteries, isn’t it? It has a library with so many books I would be dead before I read them all, and a kitchen that could house 20 staff, yet is never occupied by anyone. I’m intrigued by all of it, really.”_

_He looked down at the floor, and then at the celling. Taking a deep breath, he talked once more._

_“I always thought that men could only fall in love with women. But I never thought they would also love other men, as well…” Osolo chuckled bitterly. He noticed he had tears beginning to form, but he continued._

_“I didn’t think that I could harbour feelings for you, I tried so hard to deny that I did, but… I really do.” He sobbed. “All of the women in my village didn’t take me seriously. Neither as a lover or as a man… You did. You are the only person… who genuinely loves me for who I am, and doesn’t care about what I look like… For that… I am truly grateful…”_

_He turned away from his lord, trying hard not to break down, but failed again. He wept into his hands, completely defeated. The lord reached out and stroked Osolo’s head. Osolo then threw himself into his lord’s arms. The lord recoiled slightly at the force of Osolo burying himself into his chest and sobbing loudly. Hesitating only for a moment, the lord wrapped his own arms around Osolo, stroking his hair which fell down his back. Osolo’s sobs began to soften and eventually stop after a long while. Finally, the lord spoke._

_“Osolo…”_

_Osolo looked back at his lord, a few leftover tears still on his face._

_“You’re the only human who has never once shown any fear towards me.” The lord said._

_HUMAN? What did he mean by that?_

_“Someone like you deserves to know this. It is something I usually don’t disclose to anyone else. But to you… someone so fearless… I feel it is only right to show you.”_

_“Show me…?” Osolo murmured._

_“Close your eyes for a moment.” The lord asked of Osolo._

_Osolo closed his eyes. He had an impulse to try and open them again, but he supressed that._

_“Can I open them now?” He asked weakly._

_“No, keep them closed.”_

_Osolo kept his eyes closed. He kept them closed for quite a while. When he felt it was time, he slowly opened his eyes. Right in front of him was his lord. But he was very different. His hands were now larger and red, ending in sharp vicious claws. His ears had become elongated and pointy. The talismans holding his cape were gone and replaced with large wing cases with the same odd design as the talismans. He could notice a pair of crystal-clear lace wings underneath. There were two bug like horns on the top of the lord’s head._

_Osolo stared at the sight for a long time, completely frozen in place. He slowly began backing up the bed, still facing his lord, in horror._

_“You’re a demon.” He choked out._

_The lord gently reached forward and stroked Osolo’s cheek. Osolo flinched but was too stiff to flick it away. The hand felt chitinous against his cheek. Osolo began to unconsciously relax as the lord began cupping his cheek. His fingers felt down Osolo’s cheek and stopped at his chin. Osolo’s entire body relaxed. He could only stare at his lord with increasingly watery eyes._

_“It’s still you.” He whispered._

_He didn’t realise it until it was too late, but he had held the lord’s face in both his hands. He then leaned forward and pressed his lips against his lord’s. The two barely moved for some time, but the only things that were moving were their mouths sliding over one another. Osolo gently wrapped his arms around his lord’s neck, burying his fingers into his long hair. They didn’t take it too far, and Osolo let go of the lord after a while. The lord held Osolo close, his hand gently cupping his face._

_“Did I frighten you?” He quietly asked._

_Osolo nodded._

_“Do you want to leave?”_

_Osolo shook his head._

_“You’re trembling. Are you scared?”_

_Osolo opened his mouth to try and say something, but he didn’t. He just put his hand over his lord’s and pressed his head against it._

_“Is this what you want?”_

_Osolo looked back up at his lord. His lord? No… his lover. He swallowed hard. He finally gave him a response._

_“…It is… because it’s you…” He whispered._

_He leaned forward and kissed his lover again on the lips, this time far more passionately. He slid his tongue deep into his lover’s mouth. He felt his lover’s own tongue shoot into his mouth, and he let out a moan at how big it was compared to his own. He pulled away slightly from him to draw breath, only to be pulled back into the passionate kiss. He squeezed his eyes tight, moaning softly as his lover pushed him down on the bed. He only faintly registered the fact that his lover had removed his long coat and began unbuttoning his white shirt. He also noticed that the lord had begun undressing himself as well. Finally, he pulled away from Osolo. Osolo stared up at him, gasping for breath. He held his lover’s face in his hands._

_“It **is** you… isn’t it?” Osolo choked out, on the verge of tears. His lord smiled down on him and nodded. Osolo let out a long, drawn out, ragged breath as he stared back at him with tears beginning to trickle down his face. Clutching his lover’s purple hair tightly with his hands, he pulled him into a deep kiss and into the first passionate love making session of the night._

\------

Dapper smiled at the thought. One single night of passion was more than enough to reminisce about his past. Strangely, he didn’t feel any negative thoughts about that night. It was probably because of how tender and intimate it was, the feel of his lover’s hands tightly gripping his body as he and him made love. Opening his eyes, he looked to Lemres, who was nearing towards him with a hint of morbid curiosity.

“Heh, heh… you two actually went and did it?” He asked.

Dapper flinched and blushed profusely. Turning away from Lemres, he fumbled for the right words to say.

“I-It’s none of your business!” He stammered to Lemres. “It’s just that…”

Dapper went quiet. He told him much of his past. But he wasn’t done. There were still some things on his mind. He didn’t have a choice. He sighed softly.

“That was one of the last memories I ever had that was full of nothing but happiness. The love he had for me was stronger than any woman could possibly give.”

He stopped talking and took in a deep breath. He felt a tear trickle down his face.

“…If I had known how much bitter anguish my love for him would steer me towards, I would have about faced and fled to the farthest side of the world.”


	7. Whiplash

_The midday sun shone through the window into the room where Osolo and his lord were sleeping. Osolo slowly opened his eyes. Drowsily, he reached out and stroked his lover’s features with his fingers. He had wrapped his arms tightly around Osolo, hiding him almost completely from view. Osolo traced his fingers around his lover’s mouth, then across his cheek. He winced. He could still feel his lover’s fluids deep inside him, still hear faintly the loud moans he did as his lover climaxed. He pulled his hand away from his lover and curled up slightly. He put his head against his lover’s chest. He felt his lover’s strong breath and heartbeat audibly. The fact they were both naked helped in that regard. He felt like dozing off again, even though it was already the highpoint of daylight. Not like he cared; he would rather sleep with his lover more than anything else._

_“Osolo…”_

_Osolo’s head snapped up to face his lover. His eyes opened wide and focused on his lover’s chiselled face. He chuckled softly and rested his head back on his lord’s chest._

_“What is it?” his lord asked._

_“Your heartbeat… it’s so soothing and rhythmic… I can’t help but want to listen to it forever.” Osolo whispered softly. Lifting up an arm, he pulled up their bedsheets._

_“Osolo, you’re going to waste the day if you do that.” The lord murmured back. He was pretty tired himself._

_Osolo smirked and let out a giggle. He wrapped the bedsheet around himself. He smelled something familiar coming from it._

_“The bedsheet smells like us, doesn’t it?” He said, muffled by the duvet. His lord softly chuckled, nuzzling Osolo’s curly, but slightly messed up hair. Osolo breathed out heavily at how deep his lover’s voice was and can be when he was quiet and calm. He hardly had the energy to keep his eyes open as he let sleep overtake him again. The lord smiled at Osolo._

_“You’re hopeless…” He said casually. He got up from his bed and got dressed, and left the room leaving Osolo to sleep. He wondered to himself how long Osolo would continue to sleep before sunset._

_Osolo didn’t realise how long he had been asleep for. By the time he had sat up, the sun was preparing to set upon the land. He also noticed a tray with eggs, toast, baked beans and sausages with a glass of water and a cup of tea. He gently picked up a fork and tasted the eggs. How long ago did his lord make this? It still felt quite hot. And he was very hungry. He scarfed down the food reasonably quickly, and when he was finished, he got dressed. Going out of his room, he saw his little bat perched on the ceiling. He squeaked in happiness at seeing Osolo and flew down to see him. He nuzzled him frantically as he fluttered close to his face. Osolo laughed and let the little bat rest in his hands. He used a finger to stroke the top of his head. He then rushed downstairs to meet his lord. He found his lord in the library sitting on a chair reading a book. He also noticed his lord had returned to his human form._

_“Nice to see you finally up.” He smiled and noticed the little bat in Osolo’s pocket._

_“Hello, little one.”_

_The little bat squeaked cheerfully. Osolo chuckled playfully and went down to get a book from the shelf._

_“You have so many books here…” Osolo said, awestruck. “Like I said, I already read one of them, but it’ll take me years to read all these books! Where do you find the time to get these books?”_

_“Many of these books have been collected by generations of my clan.” The lord explained. “They passed down the same drive for books I have had. I have not read them all myself…”_

_Osolo smiled. The lord really was an odd fellow._

_“You really are full of surprises, my love.” He chuckled. The lord’s eyes widened in surprise at Osolo’s affectionate name. Then again, he didn’t react badly to it. Rather, he liked it very much. He chuckled, surprising Osolo. Osolo leant forward and kissed him on the lips. He then sat down on a chair next to his lord and began reading his book when he noticed a small little rhino beetle crawling up the lord’s arm. The bat noticed it, too._

_“I didn’t know you kept bugs.” Osolo said, eyes still on the beetle._

_“I do keep a lot of bugs.” The lord admitted. “But I mostly prefer beetles.”_

_Osolo got out his hand and let the beetle crawl onto it. The bat fluttered out of Osolo’s pocket and got closer to the beetle. The beetle noticed it and started to play with the little bat. The bat was shy at first, but it began to relax and eventually like the beetle’s closeness and began fluttering around it. The beetle waved its little legs at the bat. Osolo laughed as they played. The lord couldn’t help but smile._

_Osolo began to read his book, letting the beetle crawl onto his lap. He noticed his lord had his eyes on his book._

_“What is it?” he asked. “Is it about my book?”_

_“Yes…Have you been having any dreams lately?” the lord asked. “Is that why you are reading that book?”_

_“Kind of… Do you dream of leaving this place? You can come with me. You can live with mum and dad and-.”_

_“I can’t, Osolo. I am a demon. I’m already on uneasy terms with the villagers on account of my reputation with them. But if I were to show my true form to them… They would kill me on the spot.”_

_Osolo felt saddened by the lord’s response. He looked away from his lover, looking at his book again._

_“…Well… if you were human… what would you want to do?” he asked him, looking back at him._

_“Maybe… I would run my own shop, selling trinkets and items.” The lord replied._

_“My father and his father before him were travelling merchants!” Osolo responded happily._

_“Oh… I see.” The lord smiled, hearing this bit of interesting information from his lover._

_“Maybe we can co-run our own little shop somewhere, continue my father’s former business! I’m sure he’ll be really pleased!”_

_“Still, even regarding this… I can’t bring myself to imagine living a life among humans…”_

_“…Because you are a demon?”_

_“…yes.”_

_“…It doesn’t matter, really. Simply being with you is all I ever would want.”_

_“Osolo…”_

_Osolo leaned forward and kissed his lord on the lips again. They then started their reading session as their two pets played._

\------

_The next day went by well at first. Osolo had stayed in bed until late again, leaving his lord to focus on his own things. He had left a note for Osolo laying on the bed. When Osolo finally awoke, he saw the note and picked it up. He let out a loud yawn, his body seemed no longer used to being awake at all. He began to read the note._

**_Osolo,_ **

**_I have gone on business negotiations with your village. Stay in the castle. You can go anywhere you like, but you must not leave. I will be back soon._ **

_Osolo put the note down on the bed. So he’s gone to lower the tax on his village. Good. He had hoped that his lover would eventually see to that. An aching feeling began in his chest. When the lord returns, would that mean he will have to go back to his village? Maybe. But it would still be nice to see his lover again, either way. He then looked down at his bag with his newly repaired clothes and camera. He got out a sheet of paper with some words on it. He had forgotten about the poem he had been writing before he came here until now._

**_One tender moment is more than enough_ **

_One tender moment… one tender moment… He could think of a thousand tender moments. He wondered what else to write. Thinking about it for a moment, he wrote down on the piece of paper under the first verse:_

**_That bold statement is not a bluff,_ **

**_It is the one thing that makes me tough_ **

_Of course, it was. He couldn’t think of anything else that made him feel so happy. He smiled as he reminisced about every tender moment he had with his lover. Getting dressed, he left his room and went to search for his lover. It was as though this place was a second home to him. The central hall, stairs, and chandelier all felt very familiar to him. A part of him still wanted to return to his family back at his village, but his life with his lover was one of the best things that ever happened to him. He hoped to see his lover again when he returned from his business negotiations. He heard a thump from below. It seemed to come from the first floor, to the right of his room. He never heard a thump that loud… did something bad happen? He ran down to the first floor and followed the source of the sound. Another thump. It seemed to come from the library. Osolo became incredibly worried. He headed to the library. Another thump. It came from inside the walls. That could only mean one thing. The lord was in the secret hallway. He activated the switch and came inside the stone hallway. Walking down the hallway, Osolo froze completely in place. The lord has his back turned to him. But he was in his demon form, and a dark aura was radiating around him. He was laughing softly. But Osolo could also hear a maniacal air to it._

_“Those idiots…”_

_Osolo flinched. It was bad enough when he first came down here and was scolded by his lord. But this… Never had he heard his lover this angry._

_“After everything I’ve done for that village, they still reject me…”_

_Osolo was petrified. He couldn’t even move an inch. He just stared at his lover in horror._

_“What a pity. And to think, I had faith in the goddess’s words…”_

_Osolo finally began backing up the hallway, still staring at his lover with wide eyes._

_“If that is what they want… then I will kill them ALL!”_

_Osolo screamed. The lord flinched and rapidly turned around to see Osolo, standing there. Osolo shrank away from him, eyes still fixed on him. The lord’s stance suddenly began to break down._

_“Osolo…?”_

_Osolo couldn’t say anything. He only stared at his lover, terrified. The lord reached out and stroked Osolo’s cheek. Osolo still couldn’t react. Tears began to spill down his face._

_“Who are you?” He asked voicelessly._

_The lord stared at Osolo in horror. He had unintentionally hurt the only person who ever was close to him. He realised just how badly he failed in trying to confide his secrets to this man. This man… cared far too much about him. For one time in his life, he felt fear and devastation. Both at what he has done and what he was about to do._

_“You’ve been here too long.” He whispered._

_Osolo couldn’t understand what his lover was trying to say. He shook his head wildly from side to side. He shakily looked up at his lover, tears streaming down his face. A lump in his throat stopped him from saying anything. The lord sighed softly._

_“Osolo… you have to leave.” He told him, voice soft and sad._

_Osolo took a few steps back. He shook his head from side to side again. He choked back a sob, trembling hard._

_“No.” he said flatly. “I don’t want you to do this. Please, my love… leave them alone.”_

_“I cannot. They rejected my negotiations to change the toll. And they are preparing for war. I cannot have you here any longer. I must send you back.”_

_“I… I…” Osolo couldn’t find the words to say. He sank to his knees and burst into tears. The lord watched Osolo sink and felt a lump swell in his own throat. He couldn’t even bring himself to comfort him, because of how much the younger man truly meant to him. It tore him apart. But this was the only way._

_“Come with me, Osolo.” He said._

_Osolo looked up at his lord and watched him leave the hallway. Getting up, he meekly followed._

_The lord went up to his bedroom on the second floor, and Osolo followed. He went over to a dresser and opened one of the drawers. He got out a strange looking object, a heart shaped pearl held in a large golden peg bail, with a golden string weaved through a hole in the bail. He walked towards Osolo and placed the pearl in his hands._

_“What is this…?” He asked weakly._

_“It is tradition in our clan to give their most beloved a possession dear to them.” The lord told him. “Think of it as a memory of two.”_

_Osolo looked up at his lord, clutching the pearl in his hands._

_“M-memory… of…t-two…” Osolo murmured, not realising he made the word ‘two’ sound like ‘chu’. He let out a wail._

_“I can’t let you do this.” He cried._

_“You’ll have to.” The lord replied simply. “The memento I’ve given you will serve as a reminder that you were loved.”_

_“M… my… love…”_

_The lord held Osolo’s hands in his own._

_“Take it with you.” The lord said quietly. “You still have your map, don’t you?”_

_Osolo trembled harshly as he stared up at his lover, eyes still wet with tears. He nodded limply after a while._

_“Do not worry. We will meet again someday…Return home to your parents. Speak of the love we shared to no one…”_

_He pushed Osolo’s hands, still gripping tightly on to the pearl he had given him, onto his chest. Osolo let out a sharp breath, trying to hold back his tears._

_“…And remember me…”_

_Osolo swallowed hard at the lord’s final command._

**_Remember me._ **

_That was all it took. That was all it took for Osolo to, still trembling from sadness, lean forward and kiss his lover on the lips one last time. Pulling away from his lord, Osolo had just enough strength to keep himself from crying to say one last thing to his lord._

_“Goodbye…!”_

_And with that, he ran out of the room, and out of Ta-Toon-Da Castle. The lord watched him leave from atop his castle, heartbroken._

_Osolo ran down ZigZag Peak, tears spilling down his face. He never thought that the lord would just let him go. He wanted to stay with his lord, beg him to try and reason with the villagers, to leave them alone. He would think of anything to get his lover to reconsider. Different scenarios ran through Osolo’s distraught mind, breaking him further._

_He made it back to his village after only an hour. It was the beginning of nightfall, and only a few villagers were still out at this time. One of them noticed Osolo running._

_“OSOLO?!” He cried out. “Why are you in a hurry? Everyone’s been looking for you!” Osolo didn’t take notice. Getting back inside his family’s mansion, he collapsed on his bed and sobbed hard and fast into his pillow._

_Someday… Someday… SOMEDAY…_

_It broke him. Someday wasn’t a specific enough date. And now, his people are going to war with the man he loved more than anything else. If he had his way, he would have calmed him down, begged him to leave his castle and live with him… but how could he? He was a demon. He wasn’t human like everyone else he ever known. They would kill him on the spot. They would never understand he had a loved one._

_His father walked into his room and got the shock of his life when he saw Osolo. He moved slowly as to not startle Osolo. Petting his son’s head, Claude smiled._

_“Welcome back.” He whispered tenderly, relieved that his son finally returned home._

_He was truly selfish._


	8. Hope in Despair

_A few days passed. Beatrice tearfully welcomed back her son when he had woken up for breakfast. When she asked him what had happened, he simply replied that he got horribly lost along the way, and when inquired about the odd purple longcoat and the second white shirt, he simply said he had bought it from the neighbouring village. He wanted no part in the oncoming war that was about to happen, and mostly stayed at home to work on poems. He wondered if he should tell his parents the truth, but what the lord had said to him before still struck a chord with him._

**_Speak of the love we shared to no one…_ **

_Merely thinking about his lover filled him with longing. He wanted to see his lover again so badly it numbed him to the pain. He looked at the poem he was writing on his desk._

**_One tender moment is more than enough_ **

**_That bold statement is not a bluff,_ **

**_It is the one thing that makes me tough_ **

_He wondered if he should write any more down. Swallowing hard, he thought about his lover. His mind was filled with nothing but his lover. Memories of his lover. His warm smile, his tenderness, his heartbreak when he had to let him go. It froze him, and any other thoughts he might have had. Trembling, he unconsciously wrote:_

**_A tender memory embraces me and my thoughts completely freeze._ **

_Tears began falling down his face. He pulled at a clump of his blond hair. He whimpered as he tried to keep those tender memories out of his head. They were suddenly derailed when he heard faint whispers from outside his window._

_“Where’s the lord? I thought there was supposed to be an invasion?”_

_“All of the dark armies he had seemed to have just disappeared in the night.”_

_“Did the Charm of Kumamori work?!”_

_The hushed whispering turned into ecstatic cheers. Osolo stumbled outside. He noticed a small group of villagers gathered by the market._

_“What’s going on?” He asked._

_“The charm worked! The lord has been defeated!”_

_“Defeated?”_

_“Yes, that’s right! We won!”_

_Osolo narrowed his eyes at the villagers. Won what? The only thing that was truly won was the fact there was no more taxes on transport. And if that wasn’t enough, he didn’t know what was._

_“We are going to make peace with our neighbours.” A young man of about 26 said to Osolo. “Our mayor is going to negotiate a peace treaty with the Castle town’s mayor to merge into a single solidified town! No more arguments with one another- the people will work together to make Primp the best it can be! And not just in our part of it, but all of Primp! Aren’t you excited?”_

_Osolo scoffed. It wasn’t a bad idea, merging Castle Town with Lower Primp. But that was a pretty rash decision, just merging the two towns this early. The treaty, he could understand. But trying to merge it immediately after?_

_“You can try to merge Castle Town with your village. I’m going on a walk.” He left the villagers alone and headed off. He wondered what his lord was doing. He was defeated by that odd charm, wasn’t he? That was what that villager said. But he probably wouldn’t want to talk to him at the moment. The villager he spoke to caught up to him._

_“Ya know, a few of us are going to head to Ta-Toon-Da castle, now that the lord’s been defeated and all.” The man said. “We’re planning on building a museum when our town gets unified. Maybe also a library as well. We’re going to put some things on display there too!”_

_He got out an odd red book with gold borders._

_“Like this Record of Sealing! A few guys gave me this a few hours ago. Now would be a good time to go to the castle and raid it, right, Osolo?”_

_Osolo glared at the man. What a disrespectful way to talk about the castle. As if the lord would want anyone taking anything from his castle. But he wouldn’t mind the idea of seeing his lover again and asking him politely to let him have a few things for the provisional museum._

_“I’ll go and ask him.” He finally replied. “But for you, the village takes priority first. I will go alone and confront the lord myself!” And with that, he set off. He felt conflicted for his lord’s health, seeing his lord had suffered defeat, but he was excited as well. He was going to see his lover again._

\------

_Osolo finally reached Ta-Toon-Da castle in far less time than before. He could hardly wait to see his lover again, even after only a few days. He wondered what his lord was doing, was his dark magic defeated by the odd charm the villagers had used on him? He noticed that the mahogany door was slightly open. Odd. Usually the lord would have them closed. They were closed when he first encountered them. Going into the castle, he was disturbed to find that the hall was strangely quiet. It was never this quiet when the lord was around. Not like he made much noise any way… and there were only two places his lord could possibly be. In the library in the secret hallway, or his bedroom. He checked the library first and headed to the secret hallway there. His lord wasn’t there. Then he must be in his room? Osolo hoped that he was. He was becoming dangerously worried. Did something bad happen? Osolo ran upstairs to the lord’s bedroom. He hoped that he would be there, in his room reading his book, greeting him with his warm smile, he would wrap his arms around his lover, pulling him close._

_“Welcome back,” he would say._

_Osolo would cry into his lord’s chest, overjoyed at feeling the warmth of his lover’s chest, picking up his familiar scent…_

_…_

_That didn’t happen._

_Osolo had opened the door on a completely empty room._

_Osolo stood at the door of the master bedroom in gut wrenching shock. There was a book, pages down on the floor by the bed, and the bedsheets were slightly shuffled, but other than that, there was no sign of a struggle. For a few minutes, he dared not move. Then he sank to his knees. His lord was nowhere to be seen. Osolo could only stare at the empty bedroom, completely shell shocked._

_Getting up, he walked to the room beside it. His room. The room he rented when he stayed over at his castle. Tears spilled down his cheeks as he collapsed on his bed and sobbed hard._

_Never again._

_Never again will he hear his lover’s voice or feel his warmth._

_Never again would he see him smile, get angry or become sad…_

_Never again… would he be able to kiss him on the lips or touch his hand on his cheek._

_Never… again…_

_He pulled on the bedsheets tightly and wrapped himself with them. He could smell something familiar from them._

**_The bedsheet smells like us, doesn’t it?_ **

_…It still did. After only a few days, it still did. Osolo couldn’t take it. He let out an anguished wail._

_It was nightfall by the time Osolo had regained his senses. He didn’t know how long he had been crying for. He still was. He was still on his knees, holding the wet bedsheet in his hand. He looked down at his bag. It still had the unfinished poem he started days ago. With a trembling hand, he read the verses:_

**_One tender moment is more than enough_ **

**_That bold statement is not a bluff,_ **

**_It is the one thing that makes me tough_ **

**_A tender memory embraces me and my thoughts completely freeze._ **

_Tears still streaming down his face, he began to write on it. Somehow, he had enough of a mind not ruined by grief to write:_

**_With your kiss, bow me to your whim and bring me to my knees._ **

_He stopped for a moment, breathing raggedly. He didn’t want to stop. He wanted to see this through to the end. He continued:_

**_One sweet memory is all I need_ **

**_As long as this one is sure, it stops my greed_ **

**_It makes me stronger, the most indeed._ **

**_A sweet memory embraces me and I have no resistance anymore_ **

_He stopped again. He was crying audibly now. The quill in his hand was trembling profusely. He finally wrote:_

**_With your kiss, bow me to your whim and put my head to the floor._ **

_He finally broke down completely, sobbing openly into his hands. Wailing loudly, he knew that he would never be able to truly be happy again. His tears fell onto the bedsheet lying on his lap. After a while, his voice was completely wrecked from crying. His face was completely blank from grief, but tears still streamed down his face. He looked at the poem he had finished and put it back in his bag. He got out a blank piece of paper and wrote a will, still voicelessly sobbing. He then made a noose with the bedsheet. He tied it to the ceiling and stood on a chair. He could hear faint music coming from far away, he wondered if the villagers were throwing a celebratory party. It didn’t matter to him, anyway. They may be happy. And they’ll be happier without him, anyway. He put his head through the ring part of the noose. It’ll be over soon, he thought. In a few moments, it’ll all be over. One final memory appeared in his mind. It was his lover. He was smiling._

**_Osolo._ **

_Without another thought, Osolo kicked the chair from underneath him._

\------

_When the other villagers reached Ta-Toon-Da Castle, the first thing they did was check the rooms. The 26-year-old man was tasked with checking the one of the guest rooms. While the villagers took valuable items from the other rooms, including the master bedroom, which actually despite having bedsheets made of the finest silk, didn’t have much of value beyond that, they wondered what took their friend so long in a lowly guest room. When they reached the room he was in, they saw he was on in knees, in shock. When they saw what he was looking in the room, they were shocked to find that it was at Osolo, hanging dead with a white bedsheet wrapped tightly around his neck. A will was placed underneath his feet. It read:_

**_To my parents,_ **

**_I am crying as I am writing this. There have been memories that I made here that are so dear to me, it hurts to even concentrate because they bring me so much pain. I had a lover here. Someone who loved me more than anyone ever could. He told me not to speak of it to anyone… but now, with him gone, I could never bring myself to let that secret die with me._ **

**_My lover… was the lord of this castle. He gave me a gift to remember him by and told me to return home. When I returned, he just disappeared. Without a trace. You can believe it may be because of that Charm of Kumamori. I don’t think it was. I don’t believe that a silly piece of paper could have the power to make someone disappear. All I know is that man made me feel more alive than any woman ever could. No. No woman ever loved me. All my life I thought that there was a woman who truly loved me, despite my looks. But there wasn’t. They all didn’t take me seriously. Neither as a lover, but a greater extent, a man. It was a man who saw right through that. He saw me for who I really am. And for that, I am truly grateful. That man… I will follow that man in death if I have to._ **

**_Mother… Father…_ **

**_If you are reading this… I am sorry. Truly, I am sorry._ **

**_Sorry… for making you so sad._ **

**_I’m running out of space to write._ **

**_But I will tell you this._ **

**_I’ll be watching you. From heaven. And I hope to see you again soon._ **

**_Osolo_ **

_The villagers returned and gave Osolo’s parents the news. Claude and Beatrice howled with loss, sobbing over the loss of their only son. Many of Osolo’s friends also cried when they heard the news. So did a few of the women that teased Osolo for his looks. He was buried in a mausoleum, to signify his status as an aristocrat, at the old cemetery where the villagers had a vigil. The funeral lasted well into the night. On the door of the mausoleum, the inscription read:_

**_In loving memory,_ **

**_Osolo Claudestine,_ **

**_Age 20_ **

**_A man who loved and lost_ **

_The villagers passed on the memory of Osolo through the poem that he had been writing, having found it in a bag next to his dead body, along with a photo of him with his lover. They felt he would have wanted his last work published._


	9. Undeath

**_…_ **

**_…_ **

**_…?_ **

**_Huh?_ **

**_What is going on?_ **

**_Why is it so black?_ **

_The door on the coffin opened, catching Osolo off guard. He let out a sharp shriek, using his hand to shield himself from the light. Then he noticed he was in a mausoleum, which meant it was quite dark. He lowered his hand and saw a familiar old crone. It was the same one he met when he was first travelling to Ta-Toon-Da castle._

_“You…” he stammered._

_“Ah, you’re awake.” The crone chuckled. She handed him a mirror. Osolo hesitated for a moment. He then grabbed the mirror, staring at it in disbelief. He was still wearing the same purple longcoat his lord had given him. But his soft skin and blond curly hair were both gone. They were both replaced by literal white bone. His left eye was pitch black, with a golden iris in the middle. It didn’t have purple eyeshadow, either, unlike his right eye, which was still extant, but the sclera had yellowed considerably. The iris was still red. His ribs and spine were very exposed. Feeling his face with his bony fingers, Osolo’s jaw was slack in disbelief. It hit him like a ton of bricks. He had been turned into a skeleton. He let out a loud scream and seized the old crone with his hands._

_“WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!” He screamed. “My long curly hair, my soft skin… THEY’RE GONE!”_

_“Now, now,” the old crone chuckled, unfazed by Osolo’s outburst. “No need to be dramatic.”_

_“How? How did you…?” Osolo whimpered._

_“I felt your life force in the air. I felt it would be a good idea to try out some of my magic. A good thing I did, too… any longer, and you would have gone to the underworld!”_

_“M-MAGIC?!” Osolo screamed. “But how is that possible? You can’t possibly…”_

_“My magic specialises in resurrection and reanimation. Besides, I grew fond of you after our encounter. When I heard you had died, I was very sad. Not to mention, your lover disappearing like that… must have been painful.”_

_Osolo stared at the crone with horror. The crone had no idea what he had been through. He couldn’t say anything to her, he just stared in disbelief._

_“My lover… M… My…”_

_He could barely speak, he could only stand there, trembling loudly in place. He then collapsed on the ground. The crone just about caught him before his entire body hit the ground. The old crone kept him in her arms until Osolo woke up again. Sitting up, he looked at her._

_“How long have I been dead?” he asked._

_“6 months! And just in time too- it’s your birthday.”_

_Osolo was speechless. How did this old crone know his birthday?_

_“Where did you hear that?” He asked her, still in denial of his condition, just barely holding him back from going berserk on her._

_“Your mother came to visit earlier tonight. She was sobbing profusely. She placed flowers by the doors of your mausoleum. She whispered, ‘Happy Birthday’ before leaving.”_

_Osolo brought his legs to his head and wrapped his arms around them. The crone saw that Osolo was trembling again._

_“…Stop bringing them up.” Osolo whispered. “I don’t want to know what happened to them.”_

_“Your parents miss you terribly.” The crone admitted. “They left their village after your death. They are both coping with their grief in their own way.”_

_“I said stop bringing them up…. Please.”_

_The crone nodded. It was understandable for Osolo, or maybe, anyone really to not want anything to do with their loved ones in their undead state._

_Osolo took a deep breath. It felt odd, seeing as he was a skeleton. He then grasped at his neck, seemingly imitating strangulation._

_“Oh, the effects of undeath will work their magic in a few hours. Seems you died being strangled, right?”_

_Osolo twitched an eye at the crone’s ridiculous words. He’s never thought the crone could be this insensitive. Hanging from a makeshift noose was a way of being strangled, wasn’t it? He sighed._

_“Just leave me alone.” He flatly said. “Let me work this ridiculous new life on my own.”_

_New life. As if. It’s probably a curse. It was near impossible to kill someone who was undead. The only sure-fire way to do so was get an exorcist, with their crosses and incenses and Bagua signs. And even then, it won’t work for every kind of undead._

_“I understand you want to try to make the most of your undeath.” The crone said, a hint of remorse from her insensitivity somewhat audible on her tongue. “I can help you with that. But what would you like to do?”_

_Osolo didn’t take long to answer the crone’s question._

_“I want to make a new life for myself.”_

_“That’s the spirit!” The crone cheered. “Oh wait, there aren’t any spirits.”_

_Osolo gagged at the crone’s out of place pun. Somehow, he still can’t believe that this crone was the same polite old woman he met the first time he visited the cemetery._

_The crone got out a mahogany box lying on a shelf on the mausoleum wall. She got out a key from her pocket and unlocked the box. The lid popped as the key was turned, and the crone opened the box._

_“Mmm-hmmm… these are very nice pictures.” She smiled._

_“What pictures?” Osolo asked, peering over her side._

_He froze at what she was looking at. It was a picture of him when he was alive. And below that… was the beloved pearl his lover had given him. The memories of his lover stabbed through him like a sword through his chest._

_He seized up and screamed._

_“GET THAT AWAY FROM ME!!”_

_The old crone turned to Osolo. She could see that he was trembling with tears falling rapidly down his face, breathing loudly. The old crone looked down at the picture she was holding, then back at Osolo._

_In a flash, Osolo had seized the box away from her, and ran off, like a deer being chased by a predator. The crone watched him go._

_He didn’t know how long he had been running, but when he finally stopped, he was standing on the edge of the coast. The ocean waves raced up the sandy beach and splashed against Osolo’s pointed feet. Panting heavily, clutching the box in hand, he looked around for any witnesses. He also noticed that he had grabbed the key off the crone who used it to open the box. He quickly locked it up and threw it into the ocean. He still felt the pearl his lover had given him in his right hand. He couldn’t bear to look at it, for even a glance could bring him to tears. In his mind, memories of his lover tore him apart._

**_Osolo…_ **

**_Take it with you…_ **

**_Remember me…_ **

**_Remember…_ **

_Unconsciously, his grip on the thing tightened exponentially. Letting out a blood curdling scream, he tossed the pearl as hard as he could. It flew for a thousand yards and fell with a plop into the sea. Osolo trembled with rage and despair, tears spilling down his bony face. The memories had stopped. No more. He had a completely clear mind. He fell into his knees and burst into tears._

_It was sunset by the time the crone found him. Osolo just stared at the ocean, with dull eyes. The crone noticed that Osolo had neither the box nor the pictures on him. She deducted that he may have threw them into the sea. She sighed softly._

_“… I see. The memories of your past are too painful for you to cope with.”_

_Osolo turned his head slowly to the sound of the crone’s voice._

_“What do you want?” He asked flatly._

_The crone came closer and stroked his back._

_“You want a completely fresh start, don’t you?” She asked him._

_Osolo nodded._

_“How do you want to start your new life?” the crone asked._

_Osolo wrought his gaze away from the crone and stared out to sea._

_“Say that I’m a different person to ‘Osolo.’” He replied simply. “If you so wish, you can name the cemetery after him.”_

_“Cemetery of Osolo… Not a bad idea.” The crone chuckled. “Then what do you want to call yourself?”_

_The skeleton stared back at the crone. He thought about it for a moment. He couldn’t think of a suitable name._

_“I can’t think. Give me one.”_

_The crone nodded. “Well, then, skull kid-.”_

_The skeleton gave the crone a withering look. The crone chuckled again._

_“Fine, fine… you do look dapper.”_

_The skeleton smiled. “You’re right. Even like this… I do look dapper in these clothes… I wonder if there are any other types of fashion out there… or people with my fashion sense.”_

_Inspiration suddenly struck the crone. She snapped her fingers in achievement._

_“…Dapper Bones.”_

_The skeleton was struck by the crone’s response. The crone smiled at him._

_“How does ‘Dapper Bones’ sound?” she asked him._

_The skeleton blinked a few times. He then smiled warmly at her._

_“It’s a good name.” He said softly._

_He stared out to sea again. He heard soft fluttering from above. Looking up, the skeleton saw that it was the beloved little bat he had befriended. It flew all the way here from Ta-Toon-Da Castle? He also noticed the bat was much larger than before. The bat landed in his hands when he outstretched them and nuzzled his face when he pulled them close. The skeleton smiled._

_“Dapper… I’ll probably start a fashion business.”_


	10. Downward Spiral

“I told myself to put the memories of my past into the farthest recesses of my mind… I made a new name for myself, running my little shop in Primp… It’s what my love would have wanted, after all…”

Dapper kept looking out to sea. After he had finished speaking, he felt it would be alright to let himself be absorbed in the sound of the ocean as it crashed against the beach. Lemres looked at Dapper with gentleness. He let Dapper relax and let the ocean sounds completely take him over. After a while, he spoke.

“Dapper, I want to ask you something.”

Dapper looked to Lemres. “What is it?” he asked.

Lemres hesitated for a moment. He didn’t want to upset Dapper. But he still felt he needed closure.

“It’s about when I found you in that forest. Why would you be out there, so late at night? You would never be out late at night; you would usually be closing up your shop…”

Dapper had forgotten until now about that. He kept his gaze on Lemres. Looking away, he then pulled his legs up to his ribcage and wrapped his arms around them. He curled up, putting his head in his arms.

“There’s so much more than just what had happened in the forest.” Dapper murmured softly.

“It started when Raffina found the Memory of Chu in that Shell of Memories… I told her to keep it… because I don’t deserve it anymore… At first… the memories were foggy, and easy to forget... But they started becoming more and more vivid… and I simply couldn’t forget them anymore… And then there was the tournament. By some arcane luck… I got all the way to the end…”

Dapper took a deep breath. Lemres could sense that it had become ragged. A small sob escaped the skeleton. He continued.

“And I met someone who claimed to find the location of anyone who’s lost… this man even bears a striking resemblance to my lover… he searched high and low out of kindness but his search came up empty, my lover could not be found… I don’t know, for a moment I’d felt that the search had failed because at the time _“the lost had already been found”_ , I’d seen him again, even if it wasn’t really my lover… I had hope, but only for a short time… **”**

Dapper paused again. Lemres could hear that Dapper’s voice was becoming more and more distorted from grief. Dapper didn’t care. He drew a shaky breath and continued.

“I even won a medal that would grant me one wish…I used it to ask for a meeting with my lover, but I-.”

He clutched his mouth with his hand to hold back a sob. Tears began spilling down his face.

_“… What shall I wish for? Of course… To see him again… that’s all I want.”_

_Dapper chuckled softly as he thought about his lover._

_“… If I keep hoping… We’ll meet again someday…”_

_“Poor choice of words there…” Popoi muttered._

“…I didn’t realise how badly I blundered my wish until Ms Accord told me…”

_"… and that’s my wish. So, when will we meet again? Tonight? Tomorrow? I can’t stand waiting for an answer…”_

_Ms Accord shook her head sadly. “Dapper Bones… I’m sorry but… you just said ‘someday’…”_

_“Yeah, that’s right. Someday…” Dapper said enthusiastically. “That’s what I said right…?!” He flinched at the realisation. Someday?! SOMEDAY!? **SOMEDAY!?**_

_“That’s right.” Ms Accord replied._

_“WHAT?! Are you saying… we’ll meet again… SOMEDAY?!”_

_“I’m afraid so.” Ms Accord confirmed._

_“Then… nothing’s changed…” Dapper sobbed. “It’s the same as before!!”_

_“But… You’ll meet again, sooner or later. A meeting has now been guaranteed.”_

_Dapper trembled at Accord’s words. They could still meet… they could still meet again!_

_“You’re right… We could still meet again! I’ll keep waiting!”_

“...I tried to keep on waiting, really, I did!” He was sobbing now, his voice completely wrecked by sorrow. “But even years after she promised me a meeting… What came of it all?! NOTHING!!”

\------

_“Dapper… this is not you.”_

_Dapper was rocking back and forth on a wall in the museum. He hit his head softly on the wall._

**_Osolo…_ **

**_Remember me…_ **

**_Remember..._ **

_His lord’s voice kept ringing in his mind._

_It switched to a promise he made to himself._

**_I’ll keep waiting… I’ll meet him again, I just know it…_ **

_“I’ll keep waiting… I’ll keep waiting…”_

_Painful memories drowned out Akuma’s concern. They kept hitting hard, like a fast-flowing river. Dapper couldn’t take it. He kept hitting his head on the wall._

_“Dapper.”_

_Still Akuma didn’t reach him. He walked closer to him. Usually he would scream in a high-pitched manner at anyone who was annoying him. But not to this. Not to someone already so broken that shouting at them would make it a hundred times worse. He placed a paw on Dapper’s leg. Dapper felt it. He robotically looked down at Akuma._

_“What?” he croaked._

_“This… is not you. This love you speak of… It may never come.” Akuma softly said._

_“Don’t say that.” Dapper whimpered. “I’ll keep waiting.” His voice was uncharacteristically high pitched and sing song like. This was nothing like Dapper at all._

_“This love is tearing you apart, Dapper. You’re spinning out of control. At this rate…” Akuma hesitated to finish, but he had to be blunt with the skeleton. For his sake._

_“It will utterly destroy you.”_

_Dapper shook violently when Akuma said that. He kept his eyes trained at Akuma._

_“Shut up.” He said simply._

_Akuma didn’t flinch. He simply shook his head._

_“Dapper, why do you continue to torture yourself with this love you have?” He asked._

_The question made Dapper flinch. He stared at Akuma with wide eyes. Tears cascaded down his bony face in seconds._

_“I’m NOT torturing myself.” He cried. “I’m promising to myself that we’ll see each other again!”_

_He giggled uncontrollably. It hurt Akuma to see Dapper like this._

_“…For your sake, Dapper, seek help. Take a walk. It will help you take your mind off it.” He softly pleaded. “If you do not… then I’ll force you.”_

_Dapper could only stare at Akuma, still shaking like a leaf. His eyes were completely glazed, and his tears stopped flowing._

_“GOOD.” He flatly said. “You would all be better off without me anyway.”_

_He stumbled out of the museum._

\------

_He ambled into Nahe Forest, wearing the same expression he did when Akuma saw him distraught. Only he looked up towards the sky._

_“I love you… I love you… I love you…” he repeated, a forced grin on his face. He could do nothing to numb the pain as he walked past a small hut._

_“OI, OI!!” a voice called out._

_Dapper suddenly stopped in place. Whatever he was thinking about suddenly dissipated. He creaked his head to see an odd looking fellow in an oversized hat, holding a large black pot and a ladle._

_“Odd seeing you here!” The odd fellow crooned. He trotted over to the destitute skeleton. “You seem very broken, yes, yes.”_

_He got out a plate of rice. He shoved it in Dapper’s face._

_“…How is that helping?!” Dapper cried._

_“Watch closely, yes yes.” Gogotte crowed, using a ladle to scoop something from the pot. When he lifted it out, Dapper could see it was… CURRY?! Has Arle been teaching this cretin how to make curry? No… It couldn’t be- her curry was god tier in comparison to this lumpy mixture! Gogotte poured the curry on the rice, then took a big sniff of it. Good grief, watching this in motion made him cringe. Gogotte shoved the curry on rice at Dapper again._

_“Here! Smell!”_

_Dapper pushed the plate away from his face and took it off the odd fellow. He held it in his hands._

_“Again, how is this going to help me? Or anyone for that matter?” He asked Gogotte._

_“There is a shrine, deep, DEEP in the forest!” Gogotte replied. “Take my soup-er delicious curry to it- and pray!”_

_“There’s a shrine in Nahe Forest?” Dapper asked in disbelief._

_“Yes, Yes! To the south west of this very hut, yes! Go there, yes, GO THERE!”_

_Dapper trotted off as fast as his legs could take him, wondering if this loony cretin was telling the truth, still clutching the plate of curry in his hands. It would only be a matter of time, though, before his painful memories would drown him in his madness._

_Dapper eventually came into a clearing in the forest and stood in shock and awe at what stood before him. It was rather badly maintained, covered in moss and grass, but it was unmistakeable. It was the stone goddess his lover prayed to… over a century ago._

_“This is where they put you… after he…”_

_He walked over to the altar; it was also covered in moss. He brushed the moss off the altar so that the plate of curry would safely be placed on it. He kept his gaze on the stone goddess and went on his knees. Taking a deep breath, he began to speak._

_“It’s been a while… hasn’t it? Yes… it’s me. It feels like only yesterday since the last time I came here... when…” He trailed off, not because he lacked the words to tell, but because of something much more personal to him. Something he really, desperately didn’t want to talk about, but he had to remain strong. He had to get this out, even if it meant breaking down from the grief. He thought back to what Akuma had said._

**_For your sake, Dapper, seek help._ **

_He closed his eyes for a moment to concentrate hard. He tried to push aside the painful memories, even if it was just for a moment, so he would not spiral into a fit of grief-stricken agony. After a long while, he took another deep breath, and continued._

_“There’s someone I want to meet. Someone I have been waiting a very long time for. All I know is that we’ll meet again someday…”_

_He paused for a moment, to concentrate harder. His ability to clear his mind was beginning to crack. He didn’t care. He pressed on, because he had to get this out. Even if it meant breaking down in tears._

_“…but I don’t know when we’ll meet again. All I know is… I can’t wait any longer for this person… not anymore… ‘lest it drive me mad with longing.”_

_He clasped his hands together and began to pray._

_“Please, mighty goddess… hear my prayer. I beg you, from the bottom of my heart… bring my lover back… I can’t stand the fruitless nights waiting… hear my plea…”_

_Tears were streaming down his face. He didn’t care. The only thing he could see in his mind was his beloved smiling warmly at him. He laughed softly. Even as a mere thought… his lover’s laugh drove Dapper over the edge. He placed his hands on the ground, sobbing. He mustered up enough courage to finish his prayer._

**_“Bring him back…”_ **

**_“Please…”_ **

_Slowly getting back up, Dapper could see that it was night-time. And it was starting to rain. He slowly walked out of the clearing, and deep onto the forest. He kept walking for a few meters before collapsing on a puddle. He could only faintly register the presence of someone running over towards him before he passed out…_

**_“Please… Please…”_ **

\------

Lemres felt his heart break into a million pieces. He watched as Dapper, his dear friend… broke down right in front of him.

“I never wanted this to happen… I… shouldn’t have fallen in love with him… If I had known of the anguish my love for him would cause, I would have run out of the castle on the spot! Instead…”

He wrapped his legs and arms closer to him.

“I have NOTHING! I… I am cursed to be undead, living endlessly while everyone around me grows old and dies! One day… even _you_ will grow old and die, and I will be left on my own! That’s why, I … I wanted everyone to see me as the kind skeleton running his stylish store in Primp! And not the miserable, lovesick fool who has waited _150 years_ for a lover who’ll NEVER COME!!”

Dapper snapped his body around to face Lemres, overwrought from his emotions.

**“I AM COMPLETELY ALONE!!!”**

Lemres recoiled at Dapper’s sudden scream. He had never seen Dapper like this. He had never seen him so angry. So grief stricken. So overwrought with despair. He gently put his hands on Dapper’s face and put their heads together. Dapper noticed through the pain and tears that Lemres was smiling.

“You’re not alone, Dapper.” He murmured. “You have so many wonderful friends. And you have me, too. We’re all here to help you, Dapper. Even if it takes us our entire life… We’ll help you get through this.”

He pulled Dapper closer to him.

“ _I’ll_ help you get through this.”

Dapper wasn’t sure what to make of Lemres’ words. He could only stare at Lemres, tears still spilling down his face.

“C’mere.” Lemres whispered, pulling him into his chest. Dapper took a few moments to register the soft heartbeat of the warlock. It painfully reminded him of… his lover’s heartbeat… and his own heartbeat… which he had sacrificed just to get away from the pain. Despite everything, there was one thing that they still had in common. In their own way, they were both alive. Dapper burst into tears and wailed into Lemres’ chest. He couldn’t bring himself to look the warlock in the eye, knowing of the trouble he had caused for him, by making him worry so much. And he could never forgive himself for allowing himself to be in this much pain. For 150 years he tried to supress it, but now it has left him completely, utterly broken. Lemres held him tight, rocking him gently. Dapper cried hard and fast into Lemres, wailing deep into his chest. He kept crying into Lemres’ chest until he passed out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The scene where Dapper finds the statue in the forest is a reworked version of a flash fiction on my Deviantart:  
> https://www.deviantart.com/inklightning/art/Prayer-a-Puyo-Puyo-fanfiction-841167684
> 
> I expanded on the concept of Prayer into part of the plot of Recurring Memories, which is why the statue also appears in Chapter 6.


	11. A Gamble

Night had long fallen on the land as Lemres carried Dapper back to his shop. He got out a key and opened the store door and went inside. He noticed the shop didn’t have a second floor, but there was a secret compartment hidden behind the counter on the floor. Placing the still sleeping skeleton on the floor, he opened the compartment. It was much larger than he thought, the compartment lid being about eight feet across. He saw there was a small flight of stairs leading to a basement. Gently picking up Dapper, he took the skeleton down into the basement. He was surprised to find the basement was a bedroom, complete with a small bed, a little bedside table and a table lamp. He gently placed Dapper on the bed. He could see the skeleton was still fast asleep. He turned on the table lamp light, then noticed the skeleton had turned onto his side. Smiling warmly, he left the basement, leaving Dapper inside.

\------

Leaving Dapper’s shop, Lemres was surprised to notice Akuma standing there.

“Akuma?” he asked. “What are you doing here?”

“You surprise me, Lemres.” Akuma said, slightly surprised. “Of all the people who reached out to help Dapper Bones… It would be you.”

“It’s no problem, is it? Dapper has suffered so much, and I want to help him work through his pain.”

“You really do believe in making people happy, do you not?”

“Of course I do… That being said, I have an idea.”

“What do you plan to do now?”

“I’m going to try and retrieve a few of his old pictures.”

Lemres smiled confidently, but then something hit him, and his expression fell. He thought back to the tournament, when he asked Dapper if he wanted him to retrieve those pictures.

**_“Please, don’t! I want them to remain as memories!”_ **

Akuma saw Lemres’ hesitation. Of course, Dapper would be fearful of anyone bringing back his old memories… but after seeing him in his condition, Akuma felt conflicted. It may destroy him… or it may save him.

“It may work, Lemres.” He finally said.

Lemres looked at Akuma, curious.

“What’re ya talking about?” He asked.

“Your desire to bring back Dapper’s pictures may save him, make him understand… how much those memories truly mean to him. It will help expel the pain. I will help you with retrieving them, if that is what you wish.”

“No, no. I don’t want you to get involved. I’m the only one who can do this.”

“Very well.” Akuma nodded. “I will leave you to it.” He gave Lemres a pouch.

“Take this.”

Lemres took the pouch from Akuma’s paw. When he opened it, his jaw became slack in disbelief. It was the Memory of Chu.

“No way… I never thought I would be holding it in my hands…” He looked back at Akuma.

“You’re giving me this?! Why?”

“Because it is something precious to him.” Akuma replied simply. “Raffina gave me this, telling me it will look good at the museum. But I do not think so, not when it means so much to Dapper.”

Akuma began to walk away from Lemres. He took one last look at the warlock. “Be the light that shines in his darkness. Good luck, Lemres.”

And with that, Akuma left the warlock alone, with the Memory of Chu in his hands. Now there was only one thing he had to do- find Dapper’s lost pictures.

Lemres knew that Dapper had threw the pictures out to sea along with the Memory of Chu, at Miru Coast, so he headed there. The sun was beginning to rise on the horizon as Lemres reached the coast. He had to get this done quick. He had to get back to Dapper with the pictures in hand as soon as he found them. Without another moment to lose, Lemres set to work.


	12. Finale

_…?_

_Where am I?_

_Dapper sat up. He was in a blank void. He felt at his face. Strangely, he was a human, with his curly blonde hair and soft skin. Clutching at his hair, he wondered if this was a dream. It had to be! He couldn’t possibly…_

_Someone else was here. He was standing far away from him, but it was unmistakeable. Standing there, with his purple hair and cape, was his dear lover. He ran to him, screaming “My love! MY LOVE!” as he stumbled and regained his balance. His lover noticed him, and Osolo jumped into his arms._

_“My love… My love…” He sobbed as he clutched against his lover’s chest._

_The lord held him in his arms, smiling down at him._

_“Osolo…”_

_He held Osolo’s sobbing, tear streaked face. Osolo looked up at him, breathing raggedly. He collapsed back into his lover’s arms, wailing._

_“You’re back, you’re back, you’re back.” He cried. He then felt something trickle down his face. Putting a hand up to it, he was shocked to see that it was blood. Looking up, Osolo saw his lord was bleeding from every orifice, his mouth, his eyes, his nose… he was melting into blood before him._

_“NO… NO!!!”_

\------

Lemres walked back in to see Dapper screaming loudly. He was repeating “NO” hysterically, rocking back and forth. Lemres quickly took Dapper in his arms hugging him tightly.

“Dapper…It’s me…” Lemres whispered gently, hoping to calm him down.

Dapper’s constant screaming suddenly died down as he was dragged back into reality. When he saw who was holding him tightly, he just stopped and stared. Lemres was holding him tightly, his arms wrapped around Dapper’s frame. Dapper blinked few times, whimpering. He then returned the hug, not daring to make a sound. After a while, the two separated, and Lemres went on to the bed beside Dapper.

“Lemres…” Dapper murmured. He was too weak to say, “There’s not enough room.” But he didn’t care. He flinched when he saw Lemres holding a mahogany box in his hand. There was no mistaking it. It was the one he threw away all those years ago…

No way… how did he…?

“You found them…?” Dapper asked.

Lemres saw that Dapper’s eyes were focused on the box he held in his hand. He smiled at him.

“I want to help you work through the pain of your memories.” Lemres said to him. “I feel this is the best way.” He passed the box to Dapper. The skeleton held it in his hands in disbelief. He shook his head.

“No, please… I don’t want-.”

“It’ll be OK, Dapper. We’ll start out slowly and try and reprocess your memories.”

Dapper looked at Lemres, unsure of what to think. Lemres got out a key from his pocket and unlocked the box. Opening it, he got out one of the pictures. He showed it to Dapper.

“Here.” He said softly. “What do you see?”

Dapper looked at the photograph, completely frozen. The photograph was of him and his lover, smiling tenderly. He had his arms wrapped tightly around his lover; his blonde curly hair draped over his purple longcoat. They were both happy. It was a painful reminder of how far he had gone. How could he be so stupid…?

Lemres could see that Dapper was holding back tears. He gently put his arm around him.

“That’s me.” Dapper whimpered, barely able to contain his pain. Tears began to form in his eyes.

“Look harder. You two look happy, don’t you? Why is that?” Lemres asked him softly.

Dapper swallowed hard. He grasped the picture with both hands. He concentrated hard, to look past the pain…

\------

_“Come here, Osolo.”_

_“What is it, my lord?”_

_Osolo walked into the lord’s bedroom after their reading session. The lord handed him a newly repaired camera. Osolo stood in disbelief._

_“Th-the camera… you fixed it!” Osolo exclaimed, ecstatic._

_“More than that, Osolo.” The lord replied. “Shall we go ahead and test it?”_

_“Oh, yes! Let’s!”_

_The lord set up the camera on a makeshift stand. He activated the camera and got ready for the shot. He motioned Osolo to stand beside him. Osolo was too elated to stand still. Before the camera took the shot, Osolo wrapped his arms around his lover._

_The photo was eventually processed. Osolo looked at the image in surprise. It was in colour. The camera usually didn’t take things in colour. But more than that. The camera had taken them both in beautiful detail._

_“Splendid!” Osolo cheered. He laughed heartily, and threw his arms around his lover, nuzzling him and kissing him._

_“You’re amazing! How did you do it? How?!”_

_The lord chuckled at Osolo’s gratitude._

_“The strips were broken beyond repair. I made a new system based on an irregular screen plate filter made of different colours of dyed grains of starch.” He explained. “In short, yes, I made your camera take coloured photos.”_

_“You’re amazing…” Osolo said breathlessly, hugging him tighter. “My lord…”_

_“…I love you…!!”_

\------

Tears fell down Dapper’s face as he tried and failed to keep his hand steady. He was so grateful for his lord to repair his camera, but he never expected his lord to go the extra mile to make him happy.

It hit him. He understood completely now.

Past the pain and anguish and longing… His lord was someone who supported him and cared for him, just as he would for him.

He _loved_ him.

_Despite everything that had happened…_

_Even when his lord scolded him for intruding on his worship…_

_Even when he showed him his true form…_

_Even when the lord had to let him go for his safety…_

_Their love for each other never stopped._

_Every moment he had with his beloved…._

_Was filled with nothing but **love.**_

**_And his love for Osolo… for Dapper… for him… was mutual._ **

Dropping the photograph, he burst into a fit of sobs.

“I… I…”

Lemres was surprised by Dapper Bones suddenly shooting forward and tightly hugging Lemres. Then it hit him. Dapper knew. He knew he was trying to help him. Help him understand his feelings and reconcile with his memories. Dapper sobbed hard and loudly into Lemres’s chest. Lemres smiled and put his arms around Dapper.

“It’s OK… You did very well.” He murmured softly.

Dapper, still crying, nodded weakly. They kept tightly hugging each other for a long time. Then they both pulled away, still holding on to each other’s arms. They looked at each other.

“Obviously, Dapper, this is only the beginning.” Lemres said softly. “But it will get better. I’ll help you reprocess your memories. So that when you do see your lover again… you’ll have no regrets. Alright?”

Dapper took a deep breath, still smiling through his tears. He nodded.

“Yeah.” He weakly replied. He threw his arms around Lemres again, and Lemres returned the hug. Dapper didn’t seem to notice, but Lemres slipped something small onto his lap. When they pulled away, Lemres kissed Dapper’s forehead.

“You get some rest now, Dapper.” He told him. “Can’t have you overshooting it. We’ll continue this tomorrow, OK?”

Dapper nodded.

“See you tomorrow.” Lemres said, waving Dapper goodbye. As he began to leave, Dapper called out to him.

“LEMRES!”

Lemres looked back at Dapper. He was smiling warmly. And this time, it was a genuine smile, filled with nothing but gratitude.

“…Thank you.”

Lemres smiled in relief. Maybe now Dapper can truly be happy. It will be a long process, he knew that. But it will help Dapper on the road to recovering from his pain. He went back up the stairs and out of Dapper’s view.

Dapper noticed something on his lap. It was a pouch. He picked it up and opened it. A familiar looking pearl fell out. Dapper nearly jumped back in shock. In his hands, the pearl was held in a familiar golden bail, with string attached through a small hole.

In his hands… was the Memory of Chu.

Dapper felt tears falling down his face. This was Lemres’ last gift to him, to thank him for letting him listen to his story. He had found him his beloved’s gift. The gift he had given him before letting him go. He held the item close to his ribcage, laughing softly.

“You really are full of surprises, Lemres…” He chuckled, still smiling through his tears. He took another deep breath.

“My love… I promise… I’ll keep waiting… I’ll see you again… I know it… And this time… I won’t be alone…”

Of course not. He has Lemres. And Akuma. And many others. They are all going to help him, he thought. Still clutching his beloved pearl, Dapper laid down his head on the bed.

“See you soon… my love…”

He closed his eyes after a while. For some reason, he thought he could feel a pair of strong arms gently wrap around him.

**_I love you, Osolo._ **

**_…_ **

**_See you soon…_ **

…

_He can._

_-END-_


End file.
